Over the years, I have made and collected several tabs and chord sheets from Daoiri Farrell. Over the last 10 years, he has undoubtedly become one of Ireland's most influential singers.
I first met him in 2011 at a weekend workshop and was impressed by his manner and musicality. At the time, he was still relatively unknown and had just released his first CD, which I had to purchase immediately.
I still have a video of him playing my bouzouki made by Heiner Dreizehnter and singing the song ‘Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore’. I had requested this song because he had sung it at the ceilidh the night before. You can also find this video on YouTube.
“The Hills of Granemore” is a traditional hunting ballad rooted in County Armagh, Ireland. It tells the poignant story of a hare hunt in the hills near Granemore and Keady. Set on a fine morning, the song follows a group of hunters and their hounds as they pursue a hare across the fields. Told with rich natural imagery and dramatic tension, the ballad ultimately shifts perspective to the dying hare, who curses those who brought the hounds and bids farewell to the countryside.
Though often treated as anonymous folk tradition, the song is sometimes attributed to Owen McMahon of Tassagh. It is indexed as Roud 2883 and has appeared in various folk song collections. A local Granemore publication links the song’s origin to a hunt in the winter of 1933–34, said to have inspired a version created in the house of Joe and Pat Toner.
Daoirí Farrell learned his version from the late Al O’Donnell, a singer he greatly admired. Farrell recorded it on his 2019 album A Lifetime of Happiness. His deeply emotive delivery and subtle arrangement highlight the song’s underlying themes of respect for nature, loss, and the fading traditions of rural Ireland.
Unfortunately I couldn't find a live version of Daoiri singing it alone with Bouzouki backing.
{t:The Hills Of Granemore}
{st:Daoiri Farrell}
No Capo
One [G]fine winter’s [D]morning, my [Bm]horn I did [A]blow
To the [D]green fields of [G]Keady, to [A]hunt I did [D]go
We [G]gathered our [D]dogs and we [G]circled [Bm]around
[A]Oh, for none [G]loves the hunt [D]better than the [Bm]boys of May[A]down
And [G]when we ar[D]rived, they were [Bm]all standing [A]there
So we [D]took to the [G]fields in [A]search of the [D]hare
But we [G]did not go [D]far ’til some[G]one gave a [Bm]cheer
[A]Over [G]high hills and [D]valleys, the [Bm]wee hare did [A]steer
When she [G]got to the [D]heather, she [Bm]tried them to [A]shun
But the [D]dogs they never [G]missed her, one [A]inch where she [D]ran
They [G]were kept well [D]packed, going [G]over the [Bm]hill
[A]They [G]had set thems[D]elves on this [Bm]wee hare to [A]kill
And it [G]being quite [D]early, I [Bm]stopped for a [A]while
Twas [D]little I [G]thought they were [A]going to meet [D]Coyle
For [G]had I known [D]that, I’d have [G]lain near the [Bm]town
[A]I’d have [G]tried to get [D]rid of those [Bm]dogs of May[A]down
As we [G]drew o’er the [D]hill it was a [Bm]beautiful s[A]ight
There were [D]dogs black and [G]yellow and [A]dogs black and [D]white
And she [G]took to the [D]black bank to [G]try them once [Bm]more
[A]Oh, and it [G]was our last [D]look on the [Bm]hills of [A]Granemore
And [G]as they grew [D]near where the [Bm]wee hare did [A]lie
She sprung [D]up to her [G]feet for to [A]bid them good[D]bye
But their [G]music did [D]cease and her [G]cry we did [Bm]hear
[A]Saying [G]bad luck the [D]ones brought the [Bm]Maydown dogs [A]here
In a [G]field of wheat [D]stubble, the [Bm]wee hare did [A]lie
And [D]Rory and [G]Charmer, did [A]soon pass her [D]by
And [G]there where we [D]stood at the [G]foot of the [Bm]brae
[A]I [G]heard the last [D]words that the [Bm]wee hare did [A]say
Oh, no [G]more o’er the [D]green fields of [Bm]Keady I’ll [A]run
Or [D]trip through the [G]fields in s[A]port or in [D]fun
For last [G]night as I [D]lay quite con[G]tent in the [Bm]glen
[A]It was [G]little my [D]thoughts were of [Bm]dogs and of [A]men
And [G]no more o’er the [D]green fields of [Bm]Keady I’ll [A]roam
And [D]now that I am [G]dying the [A]sport is all [D]done
Nor [G]hear the long [D]horn that Joe [G]Toner does [Bm]play
[A]Or go [G]home to my [D]bed by the [Bm]clear light of [A]day
Oh, you may [G]blame Ole Mc[D]Maddon for [Bm]bringing Coyle [A]here
He’s been [D]at the same [G]caper for [A]manys' the [D]year
Every [G]Saturday and [D]Sunday, he’ll [G]never give [Bm]o’er
[A]With a [G]pack of strange [D]dogs ’round the [Bm]hills of Grane[A]more
If you copy these lyrics and import them into an lyrics and chords app like Songbook you can see the chords above the lyrics, transpose etc. In the Songbook app you can define Bouzouki as instrument and it has chords implemented so you can see how to play them. You even can define your own chords, which is really handy sometimes. The app is available for most platforms.
I mentioned the TSMA some time ago. Declan Plummer offers a Bouzouki Course for beginners and intermediate players. It's a one-off payment of 150 Pounds. Every now and then he plans to create new content which will be free for subscivers.
As a freebie they now released a free starter pack which contains 3 videos and some pdf files. So now you can have a look at some content before deciding to buy the whole course.
Declan Plummer is a Belfast-born music teacher, lecturer and musicologist specialising in nineteenth-century musical life in Britain and Ireland. Encouraged from childhood in classical and Irish traditional music, he studied piano and theory at the Ulster College of Music and later learned uilleann pipes with Tom Clarke, also taking up several traditional instruments. He earned a BA in Music at University College Cork, completing a dissertation on Irish traditional piping, and went on to gain an MA and a PhD at Queen’s University Belfast, where his doctoral research focused on conductor Sir Hamilton Harty. Declan has published several scholarly articles and co-authored The Musical Life of Nineteenth-Century Belfast (2015).
Alongside research, he has extensive teaching experience across schools, universities and music organisations, delivering classes in theory, aural skills, music history and traditional instruments.
A beautiful, well known Jig here played by Shannon Heaton, backed by her husband Matt on bouzouki. This is the warmup Jig at this VGS from Nov. 19, 2023. Delicate playing from Matt with lovely countermelody and second voicings. Jig starts approx. at 6:46.
A beautiful, well known Jig here played by Shannon Heaton, backed by her husband Matt on bouzouki. This is the warmup Jig at this VGS from Nov. 19, 2023. Delicate playing from Matt with lovely countermelody and second voicings. Jig starts approx. at 6:46.
“Young Emmet” is a ballad commemorating Robert Emmet, the Irish patriot who led a failed uprising against British rule in 1803. Written by Paddy Ban O’Brien, the song is a powerful tribute to Emmet’s courage and idealism. Daoirí Farrell recorded the song on his 2023 album The Wedding Above in Glencree, after first hearing it from fiddle player Kevin Glackin at a session in Dublin’s Pipers Corner.
The song begins in Green Street Courthouse, where Emmet stands trial for treason. Alone and defiant, he is accused of trying to free Ireland from “slavery.” The verses recount how he is unjustly sentenced to death, yet remains calm and proud, even as the noose awaits. Emmet is portrayed not as a defeated man, but as a heroic symbol of Ireland’s ongoing struggle for freedom.
Daoirí Farrell’s version highlights the emotional weight of the lyrics through a simple, dignified arrangement. His clear, heartfelt delivery captures both Emmet’s bravery and the sorrow of his execution. More than a historical account, Young Emmet serves as a lament and a call to remember those who gave their lives in pursuit of justice and national independence.
{t:Young Emmet}
{st:Daoiri Farrell}
Capo 2
Intro:
[D/C#][D][D/C#][D]
In [D]Green Street Courthouse in [D]eighteen and three
Stood young [G]Emmet the [D]hero true and [A]brave
For [D]fighting the tyrant his [D/C#]country to free
And [G]tear from her [A]brow the bonds of [D]slavery
{soc}
There are [A]still men in Ireland who are [D]loy[A]al and [G]true
Who [A]remember their patriots with pride
And with [Bm]God’s help young Emmet
We’ll [D]soon give to you
The [G]epitaph un[A]written since you [D]died
{eoc}
Well [D]alone and defiant he [D]stood in the dock
While Lord [G]Norbury the [D]hanging judge looked [A]down
All a[D]gainst his false charges as firm as a rock
Oh a[G]nother Irish [A]martyr to the [D]crown
{soc}
There are [A]still men in Ireland who are [G]loyal and [D]true
Who [A]remember their patriots with pride
And with [Bm]God’s help young Emmet
We’ll [D]soon give to you
The [G]epitaph un[A]written since you [D]died
{eoc}
Oh the verdict was guilty the sentence was death
And in [G]Thomas Street the [D]tyrant’s work was [A]done
Oh but [D]young Emmet smiled as he [D]drew on his last breath
For he [G]knew the fight for [A]freedom would be [D]won
{soc}
There are [A]still men in Ireland who are [D]loyal and true
Who [A]remember their patriots with pride
And with [Bm]God’s help young Emmet
We’ll [D]soon give to you
The [G]epitaph un[A]written since you [D]died
The [G]epitaph un[A]written since you [D]died
{eoc}
If you copy these lyrics and import them into an lyrics and chords app like Songbook you can see the chords above the lyrics, transpose etc. In the Songbook app you can define Bouzouki as instrument and it has chords implemented so you can see how to play them. You even can define your own chords, which is really handy sometimes. The app is available for most platforms.
