Gifford MacShane, Author

Historical Fiction with Romance & a Dash of Celtic Mysticism

Skip to content
  • HOME
  • DONOVAN FAMILY SAGA
    • Book 1: Whispers in the Canyon
    • Book 2: The Woodsman’s Rose
    • Book 3: Rainbow Man
    • Prequel: The Winds of Morning
  • BLOG
    • Songs & Stories
      • MUSIC
        • Traditional Irish Songs
        • Traditional Welsh & Scottish Songs
        • Traditional Cowboy Tunes
        • Traditional American Folk Music
      • LEGENDS & LORE
        • Ireland
        • The Old West
        • Native Americans
    • WRITING & PUBLISHING
      • The Rules
      • Grammar
      • Revising a Manuscript
      • Query & Synopsis
      • Marketing
    • Just For Fun
  • Writer Resources
  • Terms & Policies
  • CONTACT
Search

John McCormack

MOLLY BRANNIGAN: An Irish Song

June 25, 2015August 7, 2020 / Gifford MacShane / 3 Comments

Molly Brannigan is the story of a man who loses not only his heart, but his britches as well, in unrequited love. The third verse is usually left out by singers, yet to me is both the funniest and the most poignant. There's a version by the inimitable John McCormack here. MOLLY BRANNIGAN 1.   … Continue reading MOLLY BRANNIGAN: An Irish Song

THE FOGGY DEW: Traditional Irish Song Lyrics

May 28, 2015August 8, 2021 / Gifford MacShane / Leave a comment

This is the traditional version of The Foggy Dew, which pre-dates the revolutionary song by at least a century. It was not uncommon for Irish folksingers and songwriters to borrow older tunes for new songs. A version of this ballad was recorded by the great John McCormack in 1913, and can be heard here. THE … Continue reading THE FOGGY DEW: Traditional Irish Song Lyrics

MOLLY BAWN: An Irish Song

April 20, 2015April 28, 2021 / Gifford MacShane / Leave a comment

This is a traditional Irish song which I first learned as a child, listening to my grandmother's recordings of the great Irish tenor, John McCormack (find his version here). In the Donovan Family Saga, John Patrick Donovan sings it to his wife, Molly. Molly Bawn Refrain Oh, Molly bawn, why leave me pining All lonesome … Continue reading MOLLY BAWN: An Irish Song

Click here to order any of my books

Subscribe & get a free copy of one of my books. Send your selection to me via the CONTACT form.

Click here to subscribe to Giff's newsletter

Search Gifford MacShane’s blog

Social

  • View @AuthorGMacShane’s profile on Twitter
  • View giffmacshane’s profile on WordPress.org

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Follow Gifford MacShane, Author on WordPress.com

Gifford MacShane

  • RSS - Posts

Tags

American History Celtic mysticism cowboys editing family saga fiction grammar historical fiction Immigrants Irish family saga Irish history Irish Music lyrics MUSIC Native Americans novel Romance rules SONG The Old West Traditional Tuesday Trivia western women in jeopardy writing

Recent Posts

  • NORA O’NEAL: American Folksong
  • D-Day classic: The most amazing lie in history
  • TRIVIA: Native American Right to Vote
  • EDITING CLUE: Catching Those Overused Words
  • RAINBOW MAN Earns Its First Ratings

Archives

Donovan Family Saga

Whispers in the Canyon

Member Historical Novel Society

Top Posts & Pages

  • 7 Great Authors Take on the “RULES OF WRITING”
  • Twitter for Writers
  • 3 Simple Ways To Reduce Your Word Count
  • Does Your Story Need a Bad Guy?
  • That dreaded query letter ...
  • THE WINDS OF MORNING Is Available Now
  • DIALOGUE TAGS: A Punctuation Primer
  • ELEGY: On the Irregular Verb
Create a website or blog at WordPress.com
  • Follow Following
    • Gifford MacShane, Author
    • Join 3,617 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Gifford MacShane, Author
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar