MacNeill Family Crest

Betty MacNeill was the daughter of Captain MacNeill of Ballymascanlon, which is about four miles north-east of Dundalk, Co. Louth. This song was doubtless composed when Carolan was brought to that County for the purpose of meeting the poet Séamus Mac Cuaarta. The latter also had a poem in praise of Betty, and this is in the Edinburgh Gallegan MS p. 376 four stanzas.

1. Mo chuairt go Baile Í Sgannláin Is fearrde mé i gcéill 's i dtuigse, Ar leanbh dheas na mbachall cas Do árd-fhuil Néill. 2. Is geal a piob 's is caol a mailigh, Betí bhíos le taobh na mara, Shíolraigh ón aicme sin Do shár-fhuil Ghaedheal. 3. An uaisle is fearr 's nach dtarlaigh i gceasnaoi Bid go bráth i ngrádh le Betí Dar leam ní nár, is deas a lámh 'S is bán atá a déad.

4. Dá mbeinn 'mo phrionnsa nó rí na Fraince Nó mar Shéarlas Emper bheinn a' caint léith Is b'fhearr leam agam í Nó stór a'tsaeghail. 5. Is breagh do chúl 's is sáimh do shúil, 'S is mór mo dhúilin do chomhrádh ciúin, Ach lion suas a' copán Agus ól orm féin.

Notations are courtesy of Carolan, the Life and Times of an Irish Harper by Dónal O'Sullivan vol 1 Celtic Music Edition 1983.

Courtesy of Vivian and Jack Hennessey, IrishPage.com, 2005.
For phonetics consult the pocket dictionary Fóclóir Póca
Replay background music: Betty Mac Neil

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