Information:
- Mná Na hÉireann translates as 'Women of Ireland' and was originally a poem written by Peadar Ó Doirnín and made famous as a song by Sean O'Riada and performed by his band Ceoltoiri Chualann in the 1960s.
- Sharon covered the song as an instrumental with Jeff Beck on her album Dream of You.
Andrea also performed the song with Nolwenn Leroy - but it was not released on her solo albums.
- Mná Na hÉireann was brought to public attention largely by The Chieftains. Many of the members had clayed in Ceoltoiri Chualann alongside o'Riada and the band included Mná Na hÉireann on their #4 album. Shortly afterward, Hollywood producer Stanley Kubrick asked Paddy Moloney (of the Chieftains) if he could use Mná Na hÉireann on the soundtrack for his film Barry Lyndon.
- A quote from Sharon about Mná Na hÉireann from an Interview on the Liverpool Live website:
Question: You worked with many varied musicians on the album [Dream of You] including, as you mentioned, Jeff Beck. What was it like to work with him?
Sharon: It was just incredible really, I was so thrilled that he agreed. How it actually happened to us was my manager was going to his gig in Dublin and he [my manager] had tickets for me, I was in the studio working all day and he goes "Wanna go to the gig?" and I went "Yeah! Are you kidding me? Of course I do!" So I went to the gig and I know all the bouncers so I blagged my way backstage to say hi. He was such a sweetheart and we had kind of a mutual friend in the fact that The Corrs had worked with Rod Stewart and they were in The Faces together, so we had a chat about Rob and The Corrs and that sort of thing. But we just got on really well and what I found about Jeff is he's unblemished by the music industry, he has a true spirit and he is only driven by the purity of the music that he creates and gets involved in. Obviously when I met him I was in the middle of recording my album and first thing in my head went "Wow I wonder would he do something?" Jeff is very choosey about who he works with so I was chatting to my manager and were thinking "What would attract Jeff to work on your album?" and I thought the violin because that's unusual he wouldn't work with violin often, but then the Irish aspect and probably the classical aspect. So I wanted to do a big semi-classical piece on the album so Mná Na hÉireann was the track that I chose and it just seemed so perfect for Jeff, because he's such a talented player he needs to be stimulated by new genres so when we did manage to get the track to him he fell in love with it and recorded on it. He now actually plays Mná Na hÉireann on his own tour all the time and I've joined him on stage three times now, I played the 02 in London twice and then I also did the Albert Hall with him this year. It's a very special collaboration and I'm very grateful for it.
Question: You obviously make a good team then.
Sharon: We do! We just like each other I mean I'm totally blown away by him.
Written By:
- Mná Na hÉireann is originally a poem written by Peadar Ó Doirnín. It was made famous as a song by Sean O'Riada.
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Lyrics:
The original poem is in Gaelic and is quite long - the verses most often performed by modern singers are the first two and the last. Two of the more common English translations appear below:
Michael Davitt English Translation:
There's a woman in Erin who'd give me shelter and my fill of ale;
There's a woman in Ireland who'd prefer my strains to strings being played;
There's a woman in Eirinn and nothing would please her more
Than to see me burning or in a grave lying cold.
There's a woman in Eirinn who'd be mad with envy if I was kissed
By another on fair-day, they have strange ways, but I love them all;
There are women I'll always adore, battalions of women and more
And there's this sensuous beauty and she shackled to an ugly boar.
There's a woman who promised if I'd wander with her I'd find some gold
A woman in night dress with a loveliness worth more than the woman
Who vexed Ballymoyer and the plain of Tyrone;
And the only cure for my pain I'm sure is the ale-house down the road.
Kate Bush English Translation:
There's a woman in Ireland who'd give me a gem and my fill to drink,
There's a woman in Ireland to whom my singing is sweeter than the music of strings
There's a woman in Ireland who would much prefer me leaping
Than laid in the clay and my belly under the sod
There's a woman in Ireland who'd envy me if I got naught but a kiss
From a woman at a fair, isn't it strange, and the love I have for them
There's a woman I'd prefer to a battalion, and a hundred of them whom I will never get
And an ugly, swarthy man with no English has a beautiful girl
There's a woman who would say that if I walked with her I'd get the gold
And there's the woman of the shirt whose mien is better than herds of cows
With a woman who would deafen Baile an Mhaoir and the plain of Tyrone
And I see no cure for my disease but to give up the drink
Original Poem in Gaelic:
Tá bean in Éirinn a phronnfadh séad domh is mo sháith le n-ól
Is tá bean in Éirinn is ba bhinne léithe mo ráfla ceoil
Ná seinm théad; atá bean in éirinn is níorbh fhearr léi beo
Mise ag léimnigh nó leagtha i gcré is mo thárr faoi fhód
Tá bean in Éirinn a bheadh ag éad liom mur' bhfaighfinn ach póg
Ó bhean ar aonach, nach ait an scéala, is mo dháimh féin leo;
Tá bean ab fhearr liom nó cath is céad dhíobh nach bhfagham go deo
Is tá cailín spéiriúil ag fear gan Bhéarla, dubhghránna cróóin.
Tá bean i Laighnibh is nios mhiste léithe bheith límh liom ar bord,
Is tá bean i bhFearnmhaigh a ghéabhadh bhéarsai is is sárbhinne glór,
Bhí bean ar thaobh cnoic i gCarraig Éamoinn a níodh gáire ag ól
Is tráth bhí ina maighdin ní mise d'éignigh dá chois ó chomhar.
Tá bean a leafgfadh, nífead is d'fhuaifeadh cáimric is sról,
Is tá bean a dhéanfadh de dh'olainn gréas is thairnfeadh an bhró
Tá bean is b'fhearr leí ag cruinniú déirce nó cráite re cró
Is tá bean 'na ndéidh uile a luífeadh lé fear is a máthair faoi fhód
Tá bean a déarnadh an iomad tréanais is grá Dia mór,
Is tá bean nach mbéarfadh a mionna ar aon mhodh is nach n-ardódh glór;
Ach thaisbeáuin saorbhean a ghlacfadh lé fear go cráifeach cóir
Nach mairfeadh a ghléas is nach mbainfeadh léithe i gcás ar domhan.
Tá bean a déarfadh dá siulfainn léi go bhfaighinn an t-ór,
Is tá bean 'na léine is fearr a méin ná táinte bó
Le bean a bhuairfeadh Baile an Mhaoir is clár Thír Eoghain,
Is ní fheicim leigheas ar mo ghalar féin ach scaird a dh'ól
Tá bean in Éirinn a phronnfadh séad domh is mo sháith le n-ól
Is tá bean in Éirinn is ba bhinne léithe mo ráfla ceoil
Ná seinm théad; atá bean in éirinn is níorbh fhearr léi beo
Mise ag léimnigh nó leagtha i gcré is mo thárr faoi fhód
Tá bean in Éirinn a bheadh ag éad liom mur' bhfaighfinn ach póg
Ó bhean ar aonach, nach ait an scéala, is mo dháimh féin leo;
Tá bean ab fhearr liom nó cath is céad dhíobh nach bhfagham go deo
Is tá cailín spéiriúil ag fear gan Bhéarla, dubhghránna cróin
Tá bean i Laighnibh is nios mhiste léithe bheith límh liom ar bord,
Is tá bean i bhFearnmhaigh a ghéabhadh bhéarsai is is sárbhinne glór,
Bhí bean ar thaobh cnoic i gCarraig Éamoinn a níodh gáire ag ól
Is tráth bhí ina maighdin ní mise d'éignigh dá chois ó chomhar.
Tá bean a leafgfadh, nífead is d'fhuaifeadh cáimric is sról,
Is tá bean a dhéanfadh de dh'olainn gréas is thairnfeadh an bhró
Tá bean is b'fhearr leí ag cruinniú déirce nó cráite re cró
Is tá bean 'na ndéidh uile a luífeadh lé fear is a máthair faoi fhód
Tá bean a déarnadh an iomad tréanais is grá Dia mór,
Is tá bean nach mbéarfadh a mionna ar aon mhodh is nach n-ardódh glór;
Ach thaisbeáin saorbhean a ghlacfadh lé fear go cráifeach cóir
Nach mairfeadh a ghléas is nach mbainfeadh léithe i gcás ar domhan.
Tá bean a déarfadh dá siulfainn léi go bhfaighinn an t-ór,
Is tá bean 'na léine is is fearr a méin ná na táinte bó
Le bean a bhuairfeadh Baile an Mhaoir is clár Thír Eoghain,
Is ní fheicim leigheas ar mo ghalar féin ach scaird a dh'ól
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