The Dubliners started off in O'Donoghue's pub in Dublin in 1962 under the name of "the Ronnie Drew Folk Group". Then they were four, Ronnie Drew (vocals and guitar), Luke Kelly (vocals and 5-string banjo), Barney McKenna (tenor banjo, mandolin, melodeon and vocals) and Ciarán Bourke (vocals, guitar, tin whistle and harmonica). In 1963, they played at the Edinburgh festival where they met the head of Transatlantic Records, Nathan Joseph, for whom they started recording. In 1964, Luke Kelly left, and Bobby Lynch (vocals and guitar) and John Sheahan (fiddle, tin whistle, mandolin, concertina, guitar and vocals) were added. When Luke Kelly returned and Bobby Lynch left in 1965, we have what is considered as the original Dubliners, five individualists, five men whose talents were mixed together in a superb blend and just wanted to play and have a good craic. If they only knew what was awaiting them!
In 1967 their major breakthrough came as a result of a coincidence. Their song, "Seven Drunken Nights" which was recorded in one take, was snapped up by a pirate radio station which started playing it along with the Beatles, the Mamas & the Papas, the Who, the Kinks and Jimi Hendrix. Suddenly, The Dubliners was a major band, playing all over the world, getting into the charts, and receiving gold discs. Not what you expected from a bunch of hairy people who "looked like they'd just been dragged out of a seedy bar via a hedge(backwards) and dropped on London from a very great height".(Colin Irwin in the reissue of "Live at the Albert Hall")
The seventies started like the sixties ended; wild touring, drinking, playing. They started doing regular tours, and they were still recording, of course. Then, in 1974, Ciarán Bourke collapsed on stage with a brain haemmorrage, which eventually led to his death. He first, though, recovered remarkably , and was back on stage with The Dubliners, but collapsed again. At the same time, Ronnie decided to take a break, and Jim McCann took his and Ciaráns place in the group.
In 1979, Ronnie decided to make a comeback as a member of the group, although he probably never really left it. In the five years, he had recorded two solo albums, and The Dubliners three albums. With Ronnie returning, Jim left, and The Dubs were almost back where they started. Then Luke Kelly became ill, he collapsed on stage with a brain tumour, for which he received surgery several times. He too, made remarkable recoveries, and went on touring with the Dubliners, at the same time continuing his wild and unhealthy lifestyle. Seán Cannon, a long time friend, stepped in for Luke, when he couldn't be on stage. Seáns appearence wasn't that well received by the audiences at the beginning, but he has later turned out to be an important addition to The Dubliners, and their repertoir. In 1984, Luke Kelly died, but The Dubliners, now with Seán Cannon as a member, decided to keep on.
1987 turned out to be one of the best - and busiest - years for the Dubliners. Their long time friend, and guest musician, Eamonn Campbell (29 November 1946 – 18 October 2017), brought the group together with the Pogues on the hit single the Irish Rover. This single took the Dubliners back to the charts, and also gave them a completely new audience; people who weren't even born when The Dubliners started off. And with Dublin celebrating its milennium in 1988, The Dubliners also received more attention than for years. Eamonn Campbell joined them on regular basis, a move which has turned out to be one of the most important in their history. In 1988 Ciarán Bourke died, after years of pain and difficulties. He always was, and still is very much remembered by The Dubliners, just like Luke Kelly is.
The eighties finished off with rumours that The Dubliners were to retire, probably something that's always been following the group. However, they didn't, and celebrated their 30th anniversary in 1992, with a double cd and extensive tour. The nineties have later brought a tour video from the German tour 1995, and the "shock" news that Ronnie Drew was leaving. He left in December 1995, after releasing a superb album, "Dirty Rotten Shame" a few months earlier.
Now, even the most optimistic Dubliners fans thought it was the end, but the remaindours decided to convince Paddy Reilly to join them, and they continued their busy touring and recording schedule. This move has also turned out to be excellent. Paddy, not very well known in Europe, had never been touring there, so he too enjoyed the experience, as well as being part of a band. He still, though, does tours in the USA in the winter and summermonths.
2002, they temporarily reunited with Ronnie Drew and Jim McCann, for their 40th anniversary tour. They made a string of appearances on Irish television throughout this time, including a memorable appearance with Phil Coulter and George Murphy on RTÉ 1.
After the tour, Jim McCann was diagnosed with throat cancer and, though he fully recovered, his voice was severely damaged, and he has not been able to sing since his illness
In 2005, Paddy Reilly moved to the United States, and Patsy Watchorn joined the group. Watchorn made a name for himself with The Dublin City Ramblers; like Kelly, he accompanies his songs on the five-string banjo.
The band toured Europe every year. A planned tour of Denmark two weeks after the death of McKenna on 5 April 2012 went ahead as planned. From the first show in Copenhagen on 18 April onwards he was replaced by the Irish banjo player Gerry O'Connor.
The band celebrated their 50th anniversary with an extensive year-long European tour and the release of a live DVD recorded live at Dublin's Vicar Street.
In the fall of 2012 the band announced their retirement, effective after their 50th anniversary shows at the end of the year. The Dubliners played the final shows at Vicar Street in Dublin on 28/29/30 December 2012 the band were joined by former band member Jim McCann.
The band made their final TV appearence in the UK on the BBC's New Year's Eve edition of Jools Holland Annual Hootenanny' on 31 December. Their last public appearance as the Dubliners was on 27 January 2013 in memory of Barney McKenna. The remaining members Sean Cannon, Eamonn Campbell, Patsy Watchorn and Gerry O'Connor continue to tour Europe in 2013/14.
People probably don't recognize what The Dubliners have meant to the world of music. By the way, not only the world of music, but the world as a whole. They have first of all paved the way for dozens of bands from Ireland and Scotland, like the Chieftains, the Pogues, U2, Ossian, the Fureys and so on. The number of artists that list The Dubliners as one of their major influences and idols, is endless. They have brought folk music to millions of people all over the world, people who never would have been interested at all. That isn't only because of the folk music, the instrumentals alone, it's because of The Dubliners, their astonishing voices, their undescribable instrumentals, the wild life style and drinking, late sessions, their enormous beards, their extensive touring, their charisma and characters. It was, and still is to a certain extent, a blend the world will never see again.
The Dubliners have brought Ireland to the world in a way that no emigration has, they have brought the world to Ireland, and they have brought people all over the world closer together. Whenever it ends, the world will never be the same again.
Dublin in the Rare Oul' Times
The Dubliners Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The passing tales & glories that once was Dublin town
The hallowed halls & houses, the haunting childrens′ rhymes
That once was Dublin city in the rare ould times
[Chorus:]
Ring a ring a rosie, as the light declines
I remember Dublin city in the rare ould times
My name it is Sean Demspey, as Dublin as can be
Born hard & late in Pimlico, in a house that ceased to be
By trade I was a cooper, lost out to redundancy
Like my house that fell to progress, my trade's a memory
& I courted Peggy Dignan, as pretty as you please
A rogue & a child of Mary, from the rebel liberties
I lost her to a student chap with a skin as black as coal
When he took her off to Birmingham, she took away my soul
[Chorus]
The years have made me bitter, the gargle dims my brain
′Cause Dublin keeps on changing & nothing stays the same
The Pillar & the Met have gone, the Royal long since pulled down
As the great unyielding concrete makes a city of my town
[Chorus]
Fare thee well sweet Anna Liffey, I can no longer stay
& Watch the new glass cages, that spring up along the quay
My mind's too full of memories, too old to hear new chimes
I'm part of what was Dublin in the rare ould times
[Chorus]
The Dubliners' song "Dublin in the Rare Oul' Times" is a nostalgic tribute to the old Dublin city that once existed before modernization took over. The lyrics are essentially a lament of an old man who is reminiscing about his youth and the days when Dublin was a simpler place, and the bittersweet feelings that accompany the changes. The song is suggestive of the "ring-a-ring-a-rosie" childhood game, which children played in the streets of Dublin, rather idealising the fondness of the old times. The imagery of the "hallowed halls & houses" and "haunting children's rhymes" evoke a feeling of loss and sadness.
The chorus reinforces the theme of the passing of time and loss, with the turn of the stanza of "Ring a Ring a Rosie," which traditionally ends with the line, "We all fall down," being modified to, "As the light declines I remember Dublin city in the rare oul’ times." The word 'rare' in the song's title derives from the word "rare'a" that is commonly used in Dublin to describe something good.
Line by Line Meaning
Raised on songs & stories, heroes of re-known
From childhood, I was surrounded by tales of Dublin's legends and heroes that were widely celebrated and admired.
The passing tales & glories that once was Dublin town
I remember the rich history and vibrant culture of Dublin that has since disappeared.
The hallowed halls & houses, the haunting childrens′ rhymes
Dublin's once-majestic buildings, as well as the playful children's songs and stories, now exist only in memories.
That once was Dublin city in the rare ould times
This is how I remember the Dublin of old, before modernization and development changed it beyond recognition.
[Chorus:] Ring a ring a rosie, as the light declines
I remember Dublin city in the rare ould times
The chorus is a nostalgic reminder of the Dublin I once knew, with its playful, sing-songy melody juxtaposed against the bittersweet lyrics, evoking a sense of loss and longing for a bygone era.
My name it is Sean Dempsey, as Dublin as can be
Born hard & late in Pimlico, in a house that ceased to be
I am as authentically Dublin as they come, born in a now-vanished community in Pimlico that no longer exists.
By trade I was a cooper, lost out to redundancy
Like my house that fell to progress, my trade's a memory
I lost my job as a cooper when my craft became obsolete, just like my old home was destroyed in the name of progress.
& I courted Peggy Dignan, as pretty as you please
A rogue & a child of Mary, from the rebel liberties
I fell in love with Peggy Dignan, a beautiful and spirited woman from the working-class Liberties district of Dublin.
I lost her to a student chap with a skin as black as coal
When he took her off to Birmingham, she took away my soul
I was heartbroken when Peggy left me for a black British student, taking with her a part of my heart and soul.
[Chorus]
Repeating the chorus here emphasizes the sense of loss and longing for the Dublin of old.
The years have made me bitter, the gargle dims my brain
′Cause Dublin keeps on changing & nothing stays the same
Age and alcohol have taken their toll on me, and I am resentful of the constant changes and lack of stability in Dublin.
The Pillar & the Met have gone, the Royal long since pulled down
As the great unyielding concrete makes a city of my town
Dublin's iconic landmarks and institutions have been demolished or replaced by bland, modern architecture, degrading the character of the city.
[Chorus]
Again, the chorus serves as a poignant reminder of what was lost and missed in the modern Dublin.
Fare thee well sweet Anna Liffey, I can no longer stay
& Watch the new glass cages, that spring up along the quay
I must say goodbye to the city I used to love and leave behind the soulless new buildings that now line the Liffey River.
My mind's too full of memories, too old to hear new chimes
I'm part of what was Dublin in the rare ould times
My mind is too preoccupied with the memories of old Dublin to welcome new changes, and I am a relic of a time when Dublin was still magical.
[Chorus]
The last iteration of the chorus underlines the melancholic nostalgia of the song to the listener.
Contributed by Jordan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@bwrpwr
It's something special when you can make a man homesick for a place he's never even visited. What a fantastic performance.
@mikeyates7931
That was nicely put
@bwrpwr
@@mikeyates7931 I appreciate that. Thank you.
@mikeyates7931
@@bwrpwr You're very welcome , my friend
@merrill3021
I'm thankful to go to Ireland, I got invited by family.
@shanedaly9737
That made so much sense it's unbelievable. My family was from Cork and now have passed away but I'm going to Ireland in honour of my family. I need to be where they were. It's something I have to do. Thanks for speaking from the heart. Slainte
@davidkavanagh9551
We played this at my father's funeral. He was from Crumlin and passed away 6 years ago. I can see him clearly when I listen to this. R.I.P dad.
@gerardwhite2689
All my family came from crumlin dolphins barn I used to swim in the canal there when we went back to Dublin on summer holidays my mum came from Rutland avenue and my dad from caschel road I was born in the coombe hospital
@davidkavanagh9551
@gerardwhite2689 my father lived opposite the GUINNESS BOWLING GREEN 👍👍👍
@jredmondscaff
Bless you and your family