Tracing the roots of the Irish folk tune that became the popular song 'Danny Boy'.
Also known as 'The Derry Air', the first mention of the tune is in George Petrie’s book ‘The Petrie Collection of the Ancient Music of Ireland’ published in 1885.
George Petrie (1790 – 1866), an artist, antiquarian and collector of traditional Irish music, received the song from Jane Ross from Limavady in Derry. She wrote it down from a musician she heard in the town during a fair day.
The lyrics were penned in 1910 by Frederic E Weatherly (1848 – 1929), a British barrister, writer and songwriter. Since that time, it has gained popularity on an international scale. English composer and music historian Sir Hubert Parry described it as,
The most beautiful tune in the world.
While the tune has come from traditional Irish music, it does not fit into any one category. One theory is that the collector unintentionally recorded the music incorrectly, and as a result, this popular Irish song is not part of the body of music today would be referred to as traditional.
The music of ‘Danny Boy’ has been arranged in a multitude of ways since it was first published. The version by actress Maureen O’Hara is performed with orchestra accompaniment.
From ‘An Droichead Beo’ broadcast on RTÉ Radio One on 20 July 1980. The presenter is Philip King.
