Bill Hughes formed the idea of a trio of Irish tenors during a Cannes festival at which the famous Three Tenors, Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras and Plácido Domingo were performing. Hughes wanted to produce a television special and first approached Ireland's Finbar Wright in 1998 to join the group but Wright's recording contract with Sony BMG prohibited such a venture. Hughes then invited Canadian John McDermott to head up the group and he accepted. After conferring with Ireland's leading vocal coach, Dr. Veronica Dunne, Anthony Kearns and Ronan Tynan were asked to join. In 1999, "The Irish Tenors-in Dublin" debuted on PBS television in the United States.
PBS signed up for another special by the increasingly popular new group but early in 2000 McDermott's mother died and John decided he could not fully commit himself to the group. Days before PBS was to film The Irish Tenors - Live in Belfast Hughes again contacted Finbar Wright and asked him to step in. Wright agreed to help and was asked to stay on for upcoming tour dates. Having left Sony, Wright was able to join the trio on a permanent basis.
In 2001, the Irish Tenors filmed their third special, an historic PBS broadcast at New York's Ellis Island , hosted by Irish/American actor Martin Sheen. Their album "Ellis Island" topped Billboard's Heatseeker list and landed on its "Top 10 Best of 2001".
In 2006, after Tynan left the group to concentrate on his solo career, Karl Scully was asked by Kearns and Wright to join the trio. This successful blend of voices spurred Bill Hughes to produce a television 9 part series for Ireland's RTE titled The Irish Tenors & Friends. Friends performing on the television special with The Irish Tenors include Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber , Paul Carrick, Finbar Furey , Hayley Westenra , Shayne Ward , Sharon Shannon, Peter Grant , Rebecca Storm, Lucia Evans , and Celine Byrne.
In 2007 the South Carolina Legislature issued a "Proclamation" welcoming the trio to that State at their performance in Charleston.
The trio continues to tour yearly.
The Fields Of Athenry
The Irish Tenors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Michael, they have taken you away
For, you stole Trafalgian's corn, so the young might see the morn
Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay
Lo, lie the fields of Athenry
Where once, we watched the small free birds fly,
Our love was on the wing
We had dreams and songs to sing
By a lonely prison wall, I heard a young man calling,
Nothin' matters Mary when you're free,
Against the famine and the Crown,
I rebelled, they brought me down.
Now, you must raise our child with dignity...
Lo, lie the fields of Athenry
Where once, we watched the small free birds fly,
Our love was on the wing
We had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the fields of Athenry
By a lonely harbor wall, she watched the last star falling,
As the prison ship sailed out against the sky,
Sure she'll live and hope and pray
For her loving Bonnie Bay
It's so lonely 'round the fields of Athenry
Lo, lie the fields of Athenry
Where once, we watched the small free birds fly,
Our love was on the wing
We had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the fields of Athenry
It's so lonely 'round the fields of Athenry
The Fields of Athenry is a ballad that tells a story of a young Irish couple, Michael and Mary, who are separated by the British authorities during the Great Famine. Michael is accused of stealing corn to feed his starving family, and he is sent to a prison ship in the bay of the Fields of Athenry. Mary vows to raise their child with dignity, and she watches the ship sail away from the lonely harbor wall.
The ballad captures the desperation, sadness, and loss of the Irish people during the Great Famine. The lyrics evoke images of loneliness, imprisonment, and separation from loved ones. The Fields of Athenry is a symbol of the suffering endured by the Irish people and the resilience of their spirit.
The song has become an anthem for the Irish diaspora, and it is sung with emotion and pride by generations of Irish people worldwide. The song has been covered by numerous artists, including The Dubliners, The High Kings, and Dropkick Murphys. The Fields of Athenry has also been used as a sports anthem, especially in rugby and soccer games, where it is sung by fans to support their teams.
Line by Line Meaning
By a lonely prison wall, I heard a young girl calling
I heard a young girl crying out by a prison wall, lamenting the loss of her love
Michael, they have taken you away
Michael has been taken into custody for stealing corn to feed his people
For, you stole Trafalgian's corn, so the young might see the morn
Michael stole corn to help feed the starving children in his community
Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay
Michael has been sentenced to imprisonment on a ship in the bay
Lo, lie the fields of Athenry
The fields of Athenry are a symbol of freedom and hope for the people
Where once, we watched the small free birds fly,
The fields were once a place of joy and happiness, where people could enjoy the simple things in life
Our love was on the wing
The love and hope of the people were strong and soaring
We had dreams and songs to sing
The people had dreams and a spirit of perseverance that they expressed through music
It's so lonely 'round the fields of Athenry
Now that Michael is imprisoned, the community feels isolated and lost without their leader and friend
By a lonely prison wall, I heard a young man calling,
Another person cries out from the same prison wall, feeling hopeless and defeated
Nothin' matters Mary when you're free,
The person addresses someone named Mary, saying that nothing else matters if he can just be free
Against the famine and the Crown,
He fought against both the famine that was starving his people and the Crown, or the British government that was causing their suffering
I rebelled, they brought me down.
His rebellion against the government resulted in his capture and imprisonment
Now, you must raise our child with dignity...
He speaks to his partner Mary, asking her to raise their child with honor and self-respect
By a lonely harbor wall, she watched the last star falling,
Mary watches as the last star disappears in the sky, feeling a sense of hopelessness and despair
As the prison ship sailed out against the sky,
She watches as the ship carrying her love sails away, taking away any hope of their reunion for the time being
Sure she'll live and hope and pray
Despite the sadness, Mary will continue to live and try to maintain hope and faith that they will be reunited someday
For her loving Bonnie Bay
She remains faithful and true to her love and their shared home of Bonnie Bay
It's so lonely 'round the fields of Athenry
Without Michael, Mary and the rest of the community feel isolated and alone in their struggles
It's so lonely 'round the fields of Athenry
The loneliness and despair permeates everything as the community continues to fight for their freedom and livelihood
Writer(s): PETE ST-JOHN
Contributed by Dylan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Vic Gogan
The voices of ANGELS ; THEY SOUND SO WONDERFUL.😄
Sharon Greely Todd
I really like the Irish tenors. I also miss them very much, It has been a long time since the original group. but I watched after some of the singers changed.
Charles Stromme
Perfect!
Tenormic3
I was at this concert!
Richard Viders
WOW!
Tenormic3
The Fields of Athenry
saskatchawan
Thank You!
Geo Maria George
What are the names of these three?
PS: Pardon my ignorance.
Tenormic3
Finbar Wright, Anthony Kearns and Ronan Tynan.
paolo peveri
too fast . bad.