Bertie O' Rourke grew up listening to his father singing traditional songs - the late Michael O' Rourke or as people around Carrick on Shannon knew him "the singing postman". Here is Bertie singing one of the local songs that his father used to sing which was written by well known Leitrim historian T.M. O'Flynn whose book entitled "History of Leitrim" which was first published in 1937 was the earliest most concise history of the county. Thomas O' Flynn also wrote one of Leitrim's most famous ballads "My Own Leitrim Home".
"The Flower of Sweet Sheemore" celebrates one of Leitrim's most famous sites, the inspiration for O' Carolan's famous first composition and indeed it has inspired many other Leitrim songs.

The Flower of Sweet Sheemore

A haunting ballad with Guitar, violin and bass sparingly weaving a tale of turbulence and the chase on a stormy night, building to a full chorus of strings- Mandolin, Banjo, mandola, dobro, drums, and vocal harmonies with imagery of sacrifice redeemed through love to salvation.

4. Saviour

These are part of a series of recordings made by Helen Creighton at the behest of the Smithsonian. All of these tracks are from the singer Angelo Dornan, who lived in Elgin, NB at the time of recording. He was raised in New Brunswick - but spent most of his life in Saskatchewan, farming. When he was a child, he heard both of his parents singing, and it must have made a deep impression on him, as 60 years later, when he retired back to NB he remembered 125 songs that his parents used to sing when he was a child. Most of the repertoire is from Northern Ireland - as that's where his family came from.

Overn's Flowery Vale &  As I Roved Out One Evening

Two reels from my album 'twill Do. 

Shane Meehan - fiddle

Macdara Ó'Faoláin - bouzouki

Copyright Shane Meehan 2019

Farewell to Old Erin, Ah Surely

Pauline Hanly and Máire Hanly The Forgers Farewell

Traditional singer, composer, collector and teacher from Leitrim, Ireland.

The Flower of Sweet Sheemore

Fionnuala Maxwell

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