Eleanor Plunkett

waltz

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on February 27th 2004 by windybaer.

This tune has been added to 158 tunebooks.

Also known as Elanor Plunkett, Nelly An Chuil Chraobhaigh.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• A Celtic Heritage by Marcille Wallis
• Ag Cur Na Samhradh by Samhradh
• An Diolaim by Clannad
• Beauty In Tears by The O'Carolan Quartet
• Between The Showers by Grainne Hambly
• Blowing Through The Reeds by Steve Shaw And Martin Cole
• Bumblebees by Bumblebees
• Celtic Harp III: Secret Isles by Patrick Ball
• Celtic Harp/O'Carolan's Dream/The Music Of O'Carolan by Aryeh Frankfurter
• Celtic Treasure-the Legacy Of Turlough O'Carolan by Various Artists
• Champions Of Ireland: Harp by Various Artists
• Circle Of The Sun by Áine Minogue
• Clannad 2 by Clannad
• Dusty Windowsill by Coquitlam Celtic Ensemble
• Far From Home by Golden Bough
• Gracenotes by Buttons And Bows
• Live In The Highlands by Maire Ni Chathasaigh And Chris Newman
• London Lasses And Pete Quinn by London Lasses And Pete Quinn
• My Lagan Love by Anne-Marie O'Farrell
• Osna by Osna
• Ready For The Storm by Déanta
• Songs Of The Muse by Brobdingnagian Bards
• Spinndrift by Mooncoin
• The 3rd Irish Folk Festival In Concert by Various Artists
• The Carolan's Album by Maire Ni Chathasaigh And Chris Newman
• The Coming Of Spring by Cliff Moses
• The Complete Works Of Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738) - Disc 6 by J.J. Sheridan
• The Crooked Road by William Coulter
• The Music Makers: Celebrating 35 Years Of Comhaltas In Leeds by Leeds CCE
• The Piper Calls The Tune by Joe Finn
• Vanishing Borders by Steve Coulter And Harris Moore

X: 1
T: Eleanor Plunkett
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: waltz
K: Gmaj
GA | B2B2AG | G2G2ag | e2e2 ed | B2B2AG |E2A2 AB|
A4 ga | b2 aged | e4 ef | g2g2b2 | a2 bagf | g2 agfe | d2B2d2| e2g2G2 | B2B2AG | E2A2AB | A4 |

Eleanor Plunkett

I really like this played as an air with lots of freedom for expression either as a solo on the harp or flute, or a combination of the two. One of O'Carolan's loveliest praise ballads. Any one care to translate for me?

Nelly an Chuil Chraobhaigh

A Nelly an chuil chraobhaigh
Is a shuil ar dhaith an fheir ghlais
Ag eirghe dhon la,
O! nach breag dham so a radh,
'S gur [tu] do shliocht na bhfear eifeacht
O Ardmacha breige,
Fuair sar-chlu o Ghaodhalaidh
Le trean-neart a lamh.

# Posted on February 27th 2004 by windybaer

Intriguing Story about Eleanor

Apparently the quatrain describes details about the lass "Eleanor" who was the lone survivor of her family when the castle where they lived burned, and all her family perished.

Another story has it that when O'Carolan was composing the quatrain a liveryman informed him that he thought he had heard those same words in a song before, whereupon "Terry" was said to have taken up his staff to do the lad harm, but instead said "You'll never hear another word of this composition from my lips". It is not known if he stopped at this point with 4 quatrains, or secretly added a fifth

# Posted on February 29th 2004 by windybaer

Eleanor Plunkett

I'm not sure G major is right . Feels more like D mixolydian. This might be important if anyone wants to add harmonies.

# Posted on May 25th 2005 by Lissagriffin

D mixo? On what grounds?

# Posted on May 25th 2005 by Dow

Eleanor Plunkett is definitely not a waltz

The German word "walzen" to describe a form of dancing appears around the middle of the 18th century, and was in use in southern Germany, Bavaria, Austria and Bohemia. Four "Favorite Waltzes" appeared in England in 1790.
O'Carolan ever never left Ireland, and died in 1738.
One shouldn't call "waltz" any tune in 3/4...

# Posted on November 17th 2007 by Moxhe

Moxhe, the webmaster doesn't let us choose time signatures, only "types" of tunes. So anything in 3/4 gets posted here under the label of "waltz." This is an air in 3/4. But there is no heading for "air" because airs come in a variety of time signatures. You'll notice that windy baer says this tune is an air in his post at the top of this thread.

# Posted on November 17th 2007 by Miss Lonelyhearts