Fields of Athenry

“Fields of Athenry” is a powerful and emotional ballad that has become one of Ireland’s most famous and enduring folk songs. It was written in 1979 by Pete St. John, an Irish songwriter, and is set during the Great Irish Famine of the mid-19th century. The song tells the story of Michael, a young man from Athenry, County Galway, who is arrested and sentenced to transportation to Australia for stealing corn to feed his starving family during the devastating famine.

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The song’s title refers to the town of Athenry, which is located in County Galway, a region heavily impacted by the famine. The lyrics reflect the hardship and tragedy of the period, as well as the sense of hope and resilience that the Irish people clung to in the face of immense suffering. The refrain, “Low lie the fields of Athenry,” invokes imagery of both the natural beauty of the Irish landscape and the painful historical events that unfolded there.

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While “Fields of Athenry” was written in the 20th century, it quickly became a symbol of Irish resilience and was embraced by the Irish people, especially those with familial ties to the emigration and struggles during the famine. The song has been widely recorded by various artists, including The Dubliners, The Cranberries, and others, and remains a favorite at concerts, gatherings, and especially sporting events, where it is sung as a patriotic anthem.

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The ballad’s enduring popularity can be attributed to its deeply emotional subject matter, the beauty of its melody, and the way it resonates with themes of hardship, exile, and the human spirit. Today, “Fields of Athenry” is not only a staple of Irish folk music but also an integral part of Ireland’s cultural identity, with its message of perseverance continuing to inspire generations.

By a lonely prison wall I heard a young girl callin’: “Michael, they have taken you away For you stole Trevelyn’s corn So the young might see the morn As a prison ship lies waiting in the bay”

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(Chorus) Low lie the fields of Athenry Where once we watched the small free birds fly Our love was on the wing We had dreams and songs to sing It’s so lonely ’round the fields of Athenry

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By a lonely prison wall I heard a young man calling: “Nothing matters, Mary, when you’re free Against the famine and the Crown I rebelled, they cut me down Now you must raise our child with dignity”

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(Chorus) By a lonely harbor wall She watched the last star fallin’ As the prison ship sailed out against the sky For she lives to hope and pray For her love in Botany Bay It’s so lonely ’round the fields of Athenry