Skara Brae

I know that Skara Brae isn’t typical session music, but I decided to submit this recording anyway because as far as I’m concerned it’s one of the most beautiful albums ever (that’s no hyperbole on my part).

This album was originally made in the early 1970s--1970 or 1971, I believe--by four then unknown musicians: Michael O’Domhnaill, Triona and Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill, and Daithi Sproule. All four sang, the two men played guitar, and Triona played clavinet, adding beautiful new harmonies to old Donegal songs. They were the first group ever to attempt adding instrumental accompaniment to these songs. All the songs are in Irish, except for the two instrumentals (tracks 4 and 10). The original record includes only the first 13 tracks listed here. Tracks 14 and 15 are only available on the CD reissued by Gael Linn.

I’ll just reiterate what I said above: it’s not typical session music, but it’s definitely worth a listen, or a hundred.

Quite right smw, very beautiful music indeed, in fact it’s, IMHO, an absolute classic!

Copy on eBay at the moment [ not mine ] - currently at £77.00 !

You can buy it at iTunes much cheaper…

Just found this gem … lovely songs.
I prefer it to what they have done with the Bothy band a few years later.

Gael-Linn; 1971.

Skara Brae is that prehistoric village in Orkney, quite a wonderful place though more commercialised than it used to be when you could walk along the bay of Sandwick right up to the village.

Does someone have the lyrics to the songs on this album?

Paper Dragon, the songs are all traditional* and you’ll find the words online without much difficulty since they have been recorded by other artists as well.
Why not try various Ireland and Scotland Archives such as the ITMA?

*Some of the authors are known, as in the case of An Chrúbach, written by Aodh Ó Domnhaill and based on a Séamas Mac Grianna story (both of Rann na Feirste. The first an ancestor of Mícheál’s).
Aodh Ó Domnhaill was also the name of Mícheál Ó Domhnaill’s father who composed the lullaby An Cailín Rua.

Alternatively, you’ll find the words in the 2022 Gael Linn reissue! 😉

Distribution of tracks (Side A / Taobh B)
with English translations in brackets:

A1 An Cailín Rua (The red-haired girl)
A2 An suantraí (lullaby)
A3 Bánchnoic Éireann Óighe (The fair hills of Young Éire)
A4 Angela
A5 Táim breoite go Leor (I’m sick enough)
A6 Inis Dhun Ramha (*)
A7 An saighdiúir tréigthe (The sailor who deserted)
B1 Cad é sin don té sin (Whose business is it?)
B2 An Chrúbach (The cow with the turned in horns)
B3 Casadh an t-súgáin (Twisting the rope)
B4 Caitlín Óg (Young Kathleen)
B5 Airdí A’ Chumhaing / Airdí Cuan (**)
B6 Tá mé ’mo shuí (I’m up)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
* a place name: The Island of ‘the Fortress of Oar’
** a place name (a.k.a. Ard Ti Chuain, A(i)rd Ui Chuanin (/Cuan), Aird to Chumhaing, Ardai Chuain) = “Comrades Height”? -Usually translated in English as: ‘Quiet Land of Erin’.

The original album notes (and the CD reissue’s) give these translations, provided by their writer Jim McCloskey with the assistance of Cathal Ó Searcaigh. The

1) The Redhead
2) Hiúdaí’s Lullaby
3) The Fair Hills of Ireland O
5) I am quite sick
7) The deserted soldier
8) To whom it does not concern
9) The Troublesome Cow
10) The Twisting of the Straw Rope
13) I’m sitting up awake
14) The Yellow Bittern

The singer Dónal Kearney has an interesting take on the song Airdí Cuan.

https://www.donal-kearney.com/blog/airdi-cuan

The reference to Erris in the song Inis Dhún Ramha indicates that said island is possibly off the west coast of Mayo.

My recollection (I don’t have the album with me right now) is that the original sleeve notes were not too extensive, but that Jim McCloskey’s notes for the CD reissue from Gael Linn were very detailed. If you want to learn more about the songs, I would definitely recommend buying the CD.