Each musician was already performing with successful bands at the time-The Blarney Pilgrims, Celtic Connection and Clantara. With the help and guidance of Bill Biggam, successful manager of The Blarney Pilgrims, they started on a journey that would make them the most popular Irish rebel band around-second only to The Wolfe Tones.
They toured every Celtic irish club in Scotland and quickly branched out to England and Ireland. As their popularity grew, they were asked to perform in the USA and Canada and were featured on television, radio and in newspaper articles across the world. They recorded 5 best selling albums of Irish rebel music and were the first Glasgow Irish group to do so. They also had the distinction of being the first Glasgow Irish group to perform as headliners at The West Belfast Festival, Glasgows Barrowlands/Plaza/Renfrew Ferry and to be the first Glasgow Irish group to receive a gold disc for one of their recordings-Ordinary Sunday.
Since those early days they have toured and performed constantly all over Europe, the USA and Canada and still keep alive the flame that was lit all those years ago in The Scotia Bar in Glasgow.
The Original Line Up was Joe Bracken From Dublin And Mick Murray, Terry Manton, And James Kelly All From Glasgow. The Band Stayed The Same Until January 1999 When James Kelly Left. James Was Replaced By Kevin O'Niell from Donegal, The All Ireland Drumming Champion.
They have earned themselves a place in the history of the Irish rebel balladeer and are very proud to be part of that tradition.
UnOfficial Site
Grace
Athenrye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
in Old Kilmainham Jail.
I think about these past few weeks
oh will they say we failed.
From our schools days they have tought us
we must yearn for liberty.
Yet all I want in this dark place
is to have you here with me.
and let this moment linger,
They take me out at dawn and I will die.
With all my love I place this wedding ring upon your finger
There won't be time to share our love
so we must say goodbye.
Now I know it's hard for you my love to ever understand
the love I bear for these brave men,
my love for this dear land.
But when Padhraic called me to his side
down in the GPO
I had to leave my own sick bed
to him I had to go.
Oh Grace just hold me in your arms
and let this moment linger,
They take me out at dawn and I will die.
With all my love I place this wedding ring upon your finger
There won't be time to share our love
so we must say goodbye.
Now as the dawn is breaking,
my heart is breaking too
On this May morn as I walk out
my thoughts will be of you
And I'll write some words upon the wall
so everyone wlll know
I love so much that I can see
his blood upon the rose.
Oh Grace just hold me in your arms
and let this moment linger,
They take me out at dawn and I will die.
With all my love I place this wedding ring upon your finger
There won't be time to share our love.
The song "Grace" by Athenrye is a poignant, heart-wrenching ballad about a man's love for his country and for his partner, Grace, during a difficult and tumultuous time in Irish history. The setting of the song is Old Kilmainham Jail, where the man has been imprisoned for his involvement in the Easter Rising of 1916. As he awaits his execution, he thinks about the love he has for Grace and how he wishes she could be with him in this dark place.
The lyrics of the song reveal the singer's conflicted emotions as he faces his imminent death. On the one hand, he is driven by a deep love and loyalty for his country and for the other men who fought for Irish independence. On the other hand, he is consumed by his longing for Grace and his desire to be with her, even if it means sacrificing his life. The power of the song lies in the way it captures the complex emotions of the singer and the intense feelings of love, devotion, and sacrifice that motivate his actions.
Overall, "Grace" is a moving tribute to the human capacity for love and courage in the face of adversity. It is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, we can find strength and hope through our connections to one another and to the causes we believe in.
Line by Line Meaning
As we gather in the chapel here in Old Kilmainham Jail.
As we gather in this sacred space within the walls of this prison, where we are held captive for our actions, we reflect on our current situation.
I think about these past few weeks oh will they say we failed.
I reflect on the past few weeks and wonder if history will view our actions as a failure.
From our schools days they have tought us we must yearn for liberty.
Since our early days in school, we have been taught to value freedom and to seek it out above all else.
Yet all I want in this dark place is to have you here with me.
Despite the importance of liberty, in this dark and lonely place, all I desire is your presence by my side.
Oh Grace just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger, They take me out at dawn and I will die.
Oh Grace, I long for your embrace and for this moment to never end, but I must face my execution at dawn.
With all my love I place this wedding ring upon your finger There won't be time to share our love so we must say goodbye.
With all the love in my heart, I give you this wedding ring, but we have no time to share our love and must say our final goodbye.
Now I know it's hard for you my love to ever understand the love I bear for these brave men, my love for this dear land.
I understand it is difficult for you, my love, to comprehend the love I have for these brave men and for our beloved country.
But when Padhraic called me to his side down in the GPO I had to leave my own sick bed to him I had to go.
When Padhraic called out to me from the General Post Office, I had to abandon my own sickbed to join his fight.
Now as the dawn is breaking, my heart is breaking too On this May morn as I walk out my thoughts will be of you And I'll write some words upon the wall so everyone wlll know I love so much that I can see his blood upon the rose.
As the sun rises on this May morning and I prepare to leave this world, my heart is heavy with thoughts of you. I will write a message on the wall for all to see, professing my love for you and for our cause, so great that I can see the blood of our sacrifice soaking into the very petals of the rose.
Contributed by Daniel F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.