The Irish folksong "The Cliffs of Dooneen," is a ballad
likely about the cliffs around Dooneen Point near
Beale, North Kerry in the south west of Ireland. Like
many folksongs, does not have a clear point of origin
or author. It is a tremendously popular song, though,
and in a grand tradition in Irish balladry, speaks of
the longing for the Emerald Isle. It's also not clear
exactly where the Cliffs of Dooneen are. They may have
been just an invention of the author, though based on
geographical cl...(+)
The Irish folksong "The Cliffs of Dooneen," is a ballad
likely about the cliffs around Dooneen Point near
Beale, North Kerry in the south west of Ireland. Like
many folksongs, does not have a clear point of origin
or author. It is a tremendously popular song, though,
and in a grand tradition in Irish balladry, speaks of
the longing for the Emerald Isle. It's also not clear
exactly where the Cliffs of Dooneen are. They may have
been just an invention of the author, though based on
geographical clues from the song, it seems that they
may be a real place as well; probably a high point in
either County Kerry or County Clare, overlooking the
River Shannon.
Although originally written for traditional folk
instruments, I created this arrangement for Harp and
Strings (Violin, Viola & Cello).
