Daoiri Farrell - Fergie McCormack - Chords

 “Fergie McCormack,” sung by Daoirí Farrell and written by Marcus Turner, is a darkly comic folk ballad that twists heroism into absurdity. The song tells of a fire in a tall building where a woman, trapped with her baby, refuses to jump. Amid the panic, Fergie McCormack—a rugby player—steps forward and persuades her to throw him the child. He catches the baby safely, to the crowd’s delight, but in a shocking and humorous turn, his sporting instincts take over: he performs “a swift up-and-under” and kicks the baby “forty metres to touch.”

The song’s humour lies in this abrupt shift from tragedy to farce. Farrell delivers it with the lively rhythm of a traditional Irish ballad, making the macabre twist even more striking. Beneath the comedy, the story satirizes how societies glorify heroes and blur the lines between courage, reflex, and performance. Fergie’s act, both brave and ridiculous, exposes the tension between genuine heroism and the instinct for spectacle. Like much of the folk tradition, the tale blends myth, morality, and irony—reminding listeners that even the most heroic legends can end in folly, and that laughter often lurks where solemn praise is expected.

Here's a very old recording of Daori made in Germany by a friend of mine:

{t:Fergie McCormack}

{st:Daoiri Farrell}

Capo 3

 

Oh [D]Fergie McCormack was walking one [G]day

When he [D]noticed a building on [G]fire

And the [D]screams of a lady could plainly be [G]heard

As the [D]building it smoldered even [A]higher

Oh the [G]trembling [D]lady was [G]clutching a [D]baby

And the [D]building was ten stories [G]high

It could [D]plainly be seen that both she and her [G]baby

Were [D]certainly [A]doomed for to [D]die

 

 

Well the [D]firemen were there with their ropes and big [G]ladders

And they were [D]holding a big trampo[G]line

They were [D]trying to entice this young lady to [G]jump

But [D]indeed she wasn't very [A]keen

For her [G]baby was too [D]small to [G]survive such a [D]fall

And [D]she then refused to let [G]go

Oh, well [D]what could they do? They were all in a [G]stew

As they [D]helplessly [A]gazed from be[D]low

 

 

Well [D]along came a hero, bold Fergie Mc[G]Cormack

Says he, “[D]Throw your baby to [G]me!”

"[D]Indeed I will catch it, and from death I will [G]snatch it"

"And [D]safe in me arms he will [A]be”

Oh his [G]masculine [D]arms and the [G]big fullback's [D]charms

Laid [D]down all this young lady's [G]fears

As she [D]cried, “Bless you Fergie!”, she tossed her baby [G]over

The [D]side as her [A]eyes filled with [D]tears

 

 

Well the [D]rest of the story can long be [G]remembered

In [D]history throughout all the [G]land

As that [D]baby came down and the crowd gathered [G]round

Oh it [D]landed safely in Fergie's [A]arms

“Oh, he's [G]rescued the [D]child!” said the [G]crowd going [D]wild

But the [D]excitement was clearly too [G]much

As they [D]all gazed in wonder, with a swift up-and-[G]under

He [D]kicked forty [A]meters to [D]touch

Daoiri Farrell - Sonny's Dream - Lyrics and Chords

“Sonny’s Dream” is a beloved folk song written in 1976 by Newfoundland songwriter Ron Hynes, inspired by his uncle, Sonny O’Neill. Though often mistaken for a traditional ballad due to its timeless feel, the song is a modern classic that has been widely embraced in the folk world.

The story centers on Sonny, a young man tied to a lonely rural life with his mother. His father is away at sea, and Sonny stays home to help on the farm. While he dreams of a wider world beyond the fields and ocean, he remains grounded by a sense of duty and the emotional weight of his mother’s loneliness. The lyrics explore this quiet tension—between responsibility and yearning, family and freedom.

Originally recorded by Hynes’ band, The Wonderful Grand Band, “Sonny’s Dream” has since been covered by artists like Christy Moore, Mary Black, Emmylou Harris, and others. Daoirí Farrell’s recent version, featured on his album The Wedding Above in Glencree, offers a heartfelt, stripped-back rendition that highlights the song’s emotional core. Through Farrell’s voice, the story of Sonny becomes not just a personal tale, but a universal one—about love, sacrifice, and the dreams we leave behind.

(written with ChatGPT)

{t:Sonny's Dream}

{st:Daoiri Farrell - Ron Hynes}

Capo 5

 

(Intro)

[Am]   [G/B]  [C] 

[Am]   [G/B]  [C] 

 

Sonny [G]lives on the farm [C/G]in a [G]wide open space [C]

[G]Take off your sneakers [G/B]and [C]stay out the [G/B]race

And [D]lay down your head [C]by that [D]sweet river bed

[G/B]Sonny al[C]ways remembers the words Mama [G]sai[D]d     

 

{soc}

Sonny [G]don't go away, [C]I'm [G]here all alone [C]

Your [G]daddy's a sailor [G/B]and he [C]never comes [G/B]home

[C]And [D]nights are so long and silence goes on

[G/B]I'm [C]feeling so tired and not all [G/B]that [G]stro[D]ng     

{eoc}

 

Oh, [G]Sonny works the farm though he's barely a man

And there ain't that much to do, but he [C]does what he [G]can

And he [D]watches the sea from his room on the stairs

And the [C]waves keep on rollin', they've done that for [G]years

 

Well, it's one [G]hundred miles to town, Sonny's never been there

so he goes to the highway and he [C]stands and he [G]stares

And the [D]mail comes at four but the mailman is old

Oh, but [C]still he dreams his dreams full of silver and [G]gold    [D] 

 

 

{soc}

Sonny [G]don't go away, I'm here all alone

Your daddy's a sailor and he [C]never comes h[G]ome

And [D]nights are so long and silence goes on

And I'm [C]feeling so tired and not all that [G]strong    [D] 

{eoc}

 

Sonny's [G]dreams can't be real, they're just stories he's read

Stars in his eyes, oh, and [C]dreams in his [G]head

And he's [D]hungry inside for the wide world outside

I [C]know I can't hold him, I've tried and I've [G]tried and I've [Am]tried    [G]    [C] 

 

 

(Outro)

Oh, I've [Am]tried       [G]       [C] 

And I've [Am]tried       [G]       [C] 

Those were the days - Piaras Ó Lorcáin (written by Barry Ker)

 Piaras Ó Lorcáin is definitely one of the upcoming new voices in Irish Folk. I posted about him some time ago (look here).

This is a video of a live performance for TG4. He sings a song composed by Barry Kerr, who is an acclaimed Irish composer, singer-songwriter, and visual artist from Co. Armagh now based in Connemara. A touring musician for over two decades, he has collaborated with some of Irelands most renowned artists and was the recipient of the inaugural Liam O'Flynn Award from the National Concert Hall.

This is the Original Version by Barry Kerr:

Here are the chords: Piaras has the capo on 1st fret!

{t:Those Were The Days}

{st:Berry Kerr}

{soh}Piaras Ó Lorcáin{eoh}

{soc}

Oh, I [G]Wish I Was Singing With [D]Mickie And Margies Girls

[G]Down In Wood[D]lawn 

Where The [G]Songs From Home

Turned [D]Way Up Loud

And The [Bm]Football And Hurling [A]On

Those We're The [G]Days

And The [D]Nights

The [G]Laughter And The [D]Fights

The [G]Phone Call Home When [D]Feeling Alone

[Bm]Somehow Made It Seem [A]Right

Those We're The [G]Days 

And The [D]Nights

{eoc}

 

[A]

I Was Making The [G]Money Doing [D]Well

But I [G]Lost It And I [D]Fell 

Oh I [G]Backed The Wrong Horse

And [D]Out Of My Cost

And [Bm]Serving My Penance In [A]Hell

 

{soc}

Those We're The [G]Days

And The [D]Nights

The [G]Laughter And The [D] Fights

The [G]Phone Call Home When [D]Feeling Alone

[Bm]Somehow Made It Seem [A]Right

Those We're The [G]Days pause

And The [D]Nights

{eoc}

 

{soc}

I [G]Wish I Was Singing With [D]Mickie And Margies Girls

[G]Down In Wood[D]lawn 

Where The [G]Songs From Home

Turned [D]Way Up Loud

And The [Bm]Football And Hurling [A]On

Those We're The [G]Days

And The [D]Nights

The [G]Laughter And The [D] Fights

The [G]Phone Call Home When [D]Feeling Alone

[Bm]Somehow Made It Seem [A]Right

Those We're The [G]Days pause

And The [D]Nights

{eoc}

[G]Come All You Bar Stool [D]Heroes

Oh, [G]Sing out Your Favourite [D]Songs

Some [G]Whiskey For The [D]Courage

Ah, We'll [Bm]Sing And Right The [A]Wrongs

Oh, We [G]Are The Music [D]Makers

We [G]Are The Dreamers Of [D]Dreams

Oh, [G]Chasing The Ad[D]venture 

And What[Bm]ever It May [A]Bring

 

{soc}

I [G]Wish I Was Singing With [D]Mickie And Margies Girls

[G]Down In Wood[D]lawn 

Where The [G]Songs From Home

Turned [D]Way Up Loud

And The [Bm]Football And Hurling [A]On

Those We're The [G]Days

And The [D]Nights

The [G]Laughter And The [D] Fights

The [G]Phone Call Home When [D]Feeling Alone

[Bm]Somehow Made It Seem [A]Right

Those We're The [G]Days pause

And The [D]Nights

{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.

Here I have collected some videos how this app works.

This is what chatgpt found out about the song:

“Those Were the Days” — Barry Kerr

Barry Kerr’s “Those Were the Days” is a reflective song, written and recorded on tour in the USA, often in hotel rooms or at gig venues. The song tells the story of an Irishman who is “down on his luck,” thinking back with nostalgia to happier times — particularly longing to be back in New York, enjoying the liveliness (“the craic”) of Bronx bars. 

In doing so, Kerr explores themes of homesickness, regret, and the pull of places and memories that once felt alive. The setting — being on the road, in between performances — adds a dimension of longing and transience: the contrast between the current difficult circumstances and the vibrant life once had. 

Source: Berry Kerr on Bandcamp

Interpretation & deeper reading

Putting together what is stated plus what can reasonably be inferred, here is a more in-depth reading:

1. Longing and nostalgia
   The central emotional core of the song is nostalgia — longing for better times, for places and moments that felt full of life. The narrator is “down on his luck,” so the past is not just memory but a contrast to present hardship.

2. Exile, displacement, and homesickness
   The setting includes being on tour in the U.S., away from home. The protagonist is Irish, longing to be back in New York (in the Bronx) where he once felt close to the pulse of social life, “having the craic” (i.e. enjoying good conversation, music, dance, community). The distance and dislocation amplify the emotional weight of memory.

3. Communal restoration / music as solace
   In the opening lines, the idea of “barstool heroes” gathering, singing their favorite songs, and issuing “some whiskey for the courage” suggests that community and music are the means by which the narrator (and those around him) cope with regret or loss. It is as though in singing together, they seek to “right the wrongs” — heal or reinterpret the past, or find strength in shared memory.

4. Regret, missed opportunities, and reflection
   The contrast between past and present suggests that certain choices, chances, or relationships may have been lost or mismanaged. The tone is not triumphant; it is tinged with sadness, but also with a kind of hopeful reckoning — through remembering, through gathering, one might reclaim something or find solace.

5. Temporal tension
   Because the song was literally composed on the road, in transient spaces (hotel rooms, venues), that sense of impermanence seeps into the song. The present is unstable; the past, though unreachable, feels more stable by comparison. This heightens the emotional urgency of the nostalgia.