Waxies Dargle are one of the many traditional Celtic folk bands to come up … Read Full Bio ↴Waxies Dargle are one of the many traditional Celtic folk bands to come up through London's Irish pub circuit. The band, founded by Dubliner Gerry Heaney, derived its name from a popular Irish drinking song about a fair called "the Waxies Dargle" which was held by tailors from the coastal town of Bray early in the 20th century. Soon after the band's emergence on the London scene, they attracted a strong following with their lively blend of familiar Irish standards, original compositions, contemporary folk covers, and traditional North American folk tunes. The troupe, which describes itself as "two parts Dubliner and one part old Dublin City Ramblers," landed a deal with Brambus Records in 1993 and released their first album, World Tour of Ireland. With the support of the Switzerland based indie label, Waxies Dargle continued to cultivate a broader audience by touring throughout Europe. Their second Brambus record, Paddy Ryan's Dream, hit the market in 1995. Throughout their history the lineup behind Heaney has been a revolving door. On the 1997 release After the Gael the band was a four player ensemble consisting of Heaney (vocals, guitar and bodhran), Mike Franks (fiddle, banjo, harmonica, and vocals), Susannah Healy (backing vocals, fiddle) and Roland Humphries (bass, backing vocals). By 1999 the door had revolved again, with singer/fiddler Bernie O'Sullivan returning to the band as a replacement for Franks and Healy. Heaney has moved to London, where the band continues to draw pub audiences when they are not touring on the continent.

Donegal Danny
Waxies Dargle Lyrics

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I remember the night that he came in from the wintery
Cold and damp
A giant of a man in an oilskin coat, and a bundle that
Told he was a tramp
He stood at the bar and he called a pint, then turned
And gazed at the fire
On a night like this, to be save and dry is my one and
Only desire

So here's to those that are dead and gone, the friends
That I loved dear
And here's to you and I'll bid you adieu, sayin'
"Donegal Danny's been here, me boys,
Donegal Danny's been here"

Then in a voice that was hushed and low he said
"Listen, I'll tell you a tale"
How a man of the sea became a man of the road and never
More will set sail
I fished out of Howth and Killybegs, Ardglass and
Baltimore
But the cruel sea has beat'n me and I'll end my days on
The shore

So here's to those that are dead and gone, the friends
That I loved dear
And here's to you and I'll bid you adieu, sayin'
"Donegal Danny's been here, me boys,
Donegal Danny's been here"

One fateful night in the wind and the rain we set sail
From Killybegs town
There were five of us from sweet Donegal and one from
County Down
We were fishermen who worked the sea and never counted
The cost
But I never thought 'ere that night was done, that my
Fine friends would all be lost

So here's to those that are dead and gone, the friends
That I loved dear
And here's to you and I'll bid you adieu, sayin'
"Donegal Danny's been here, me boys,
Donegal Danny's been here"

Then the storm it broke and drove the boat, to the
Rocks about ten miles from shore
As we fought the tide, we hoped inside to see our homes
Once more
Then we struck a rock and holed the bow and all of us
Knew that she'd go down
So we jumped right into the icy sea and prayed to God
We wouldn't drown

But the ragin' sea was risin' still as we struck out
For the land
And she fought with all her cruelty to claim that
Gallant band
By Saint John's point in the early dawn I dragged
Myself on the shore
And I cursed the sea for what she'd done and vowed to
Sail her never more

So here's to those that are dead and gone, the friends
That I loved dear
And here's to you and I'll bid you adieu, sayin'
"Donegal Danny's been here, me boys,
Donegal Danny's been here"

Ever since that night I've been on the road, travelin'
And tryin' to forget
That awful night I lost all my friends, I see their
Faces yet
And often at night when the sea is high and the rain is
Tearing at my skin
I hear the cries of drowning men, floating over on the
Wind

So here's to those that are dead and gone, the friends
That I loved dear
And here's to you and I'll bid you adieu, sayin'
"Donegal Danny's been here, me boys,
Donegal Danny's been here"

So here's to those that are dead and gone, the friends
That I loved dear
And here's to you and I'll bid you adieu, sayin'

"Donegal Danny's been here, me boys,
Donegal Danny's been here"

Overall Meaning

The song "Donegal Danny" by the Waxies Dargle tells the story of a man who enters a bar on a cold and wintery night. He is described as a giant of a man wearing an oilskin coat, and he carries a bundle that suggests he is a tramp. The man orders a pint and gazes at the fire. He then begins to tell a sad tale of his life as a fisherman on the sea. He recounts the night when he set sail with five of his friends from Donegal and County Down. Unfortunately, they hit a rock and the boat sank, and all of his friends drowned. The man is the only survivor, and he vows to never sail on the sea again. The lyrics of the song are a tribute to the man's dead friends and their friendship.

The lyrics of "Donegal Danny" evoke feelings of sadness, nostalgia, and mourning. It is a story of a man who has lost his friends and is trying to cope with the loss. The song reflects the hardships of the life of a fisherman and the dangers of the sea. The song's simple and straightforward lyrics, coupled with a haunting melody, make it a powerful ode to the memory of those who have left this world.

Line by Line Meaning

I remember the night that he came in from the wintery Cold and damp
I recall the night when he arrived, cold and wet from the harsh winter weather.

A giant of a man in an oilskin coat, and a bundle that Told he was a tramp
He was a large man, dressed in an oilskin coat, carrying a bundle that gave away his status as a tramp.

He stood at the bar and he called a pint, then turned And gazed at the fire
He went to the bar, ordered a pint, then looked towards the fire.

On a night like this, to be save and dry is my one and Only desire
During a night like this, my only wish is to be warm and dry.

Then in a voice that was hushed and low he said "Listen, I'll tell you a tale" How a man of the sea became a man of the road and never More will set sail
In a quiet voice, he said he had a story to tell. He became a traveler after being a sailor, never to set sail again.

I fished out of Howth and Killybegs, Ardglass and Baltimore But the cruel sea has beat'n me and I'll end my days on The shore
He fished in Howth, Killybegs, Ardglass, and Baltimore, but the unforgiving sea defeated him, and he will spend his remaining days on the shore.

One fateful night in the wind and the rain we set sail From Killybegs town There were five of us from sweet Donegal and one from County Down
On a terrible night, amidst the wind and rain, they sailed from Killybegs town. There were five people from Donegal and one from County Down.

We were fishermen who worked the sea and never counted The cost But I never thought 'ere that night was done, that my Fine friends would all be lost
They were fishermen, who never thought about the cost. However, he never expected that they would all lose their lives that night.

Then the storm it broke and drove the boat, to the Rocks about ten miles from shore As we fought the tide, we hoped inside to see our homes Once more
The storm hit, and it took the boat towards rocks ten miles from the shore. As they fought the tide, they hoped to return home one last time.

Then we struck a rock and holed the bow and all of us Knew that she'd go down So we jumped right into the icy sea and prayed to God We wouldn't drown
The boat hit a rock and crushed the bow, and everyone knew it was going to sink. They all jumped into the freezing sea and prayed they wouldn't drown.

But the ragin' sea was risin' still as we struck out For the land And she fought with all her cruelty to claim that Gallant band
The raging sea was still rising as they swam towards the land. The sea fought with all of its malice to take the brave group of men down.

By Saint John's point in the early dawn I dragged Myself on the shore And I cursed the sea for what she'd done and vowed to Sail her never more
He dragged himself on the shore by Saint John's point at dawn and cursed the sea for what it had done. He swore he would never sail again.

Ever since that night I've been on the road, travelin' And tryin' to forget That awful night I lost all my friends, I see their Faces yet
Since that night, he's been traveling and trying to forget. He can still see the faces of his friends on that night when he lost them all.

And often at night when the sea is high and the rain is Tearing at my skin I hear the cries of drowning men, floating over on the Wind
At night, when the sea is rough and the rain is tearing at him, he hears the cries of those drowning, floating over on the wind.

Writer(s): Coulter

Contributed by Grayson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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