Fionnghualla

Click to play ( 2.22 MB)

Two of the Gill Family Singers are also long standing Diddychwy members. Tony Gill (Senior) and Dominic Gill. Other members are: Tony Gill (Junior) Mark Gill and Lisa Buttery, formerly Lisa Gill. Special thanks to Ray Thomas, Sound engineer.

On this page below:

The Gill Family Singers sings Fionnghualla / a personal history

A history of the song Fionnghualla

The official words of Fionnghualla

The Gill Family Singers words of Fionnghualla

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The Gill Family Singers sings Fionnghualla / a personal history

What a wild wild song is Fionnghualla. And gee ... what a departure from the norm this was for the group! It’s a song that you just have to get you tongue around. We also did it in Diddychwy. When The Gill Family Singers first learnt this song, there was no such a thing as the internet. And 'I' (Dominic Gill) wasn't lucky enough to have the words all neatly written out on the back of the album like many a beetle's record. I just had to figure it out for myself. I played the music over and over again trying to figure out what the hell it was that they were saying. Eventually I came up with the following below. (See my version of Fionnghualla below) I had no idea if I was right or not. To be honest, I would have to say that "it was not right," but we sung it anyway. Nobody complained. In fact most audiences just stood there with the mouths wide open. So if you ever have to do a task like this, - figuring out language with no reference to anything else, - spare a thought to the babies of the world who are trying to figure out what we adults are on about, or your family dog.

When we eventually got our act together and recorded the song, I had a hand in mixing it. To my surprise I noticed that people in the band were actually singing slightly different words. But here's a case of saying, "well who cares, it sounded alright, and no one ever notice, not even the band members. When we did perform it, we tended to open with this song, like we opened the album (The Gill Family Singers with 'Fionnghualla.') Like most good performers - with a touch of exhibitionist in us, - we wanted to make a good first impression. And we did, one audience member asked if it was a devil worshiping song.

A history of the song Fionnghualla

A history of the song Fionnghualla (Click this link)

FIONNGHUALA

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology

Means "white shoulder" from Irish fionn "white, fair" and guala "shoulder". In Irish legend Fionnghuala was one of the four children of Lir who were transformed into swans for a period of 900 years.

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The official words of Fionnghualla

Fionnghuala

Thuirt an gobha fuirighidh mi
'S thuirt an gobha falbhaidh mi
'S thuirt an gobha leis an othail
A bh' air an do\rus an t-sa\bhail
Gu rachadh e a shuirghe

Se/ist
'S a gheala nam botham nam botham
Pe ho ro bha hin an doicheam
'S hala ham to han an doicheam
Am bothan a bh' aig Fionnghuala

Bheirinn fead air fulmairean
Bheirinn fead air falmairean
Liuthannan beaga na mara
Bheireamaid greis air an tarrainn
Na maireadh na duirgh dhuinn

He also knew of a third verse:

Cha d'thuirt an dadan a' seo\
Cha d'thuirt an dadan a' seo\
Cha d'thuirt an dadan a' seo\
Bheireamaid greis air an tarrainn
Na maireadh na duirgh dhuinn

This song is also on the Music From the Western Isles collection. It's
available from Greentrax as CDTRAX 9002 or as a cassette CTRAX 9002. The
sixth cut has four Puirt-a-beuls, and the third one is this. Greentrax
advises a booklet with the song texts, translations and commentary are
available from them for 75p.

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The Gill Family Singers words of Fionnghualla

Yad din na bor ni bor,

yad din na bor ni bor,

bonna a nuffa fulla vulla.

Yad din na bor ni bor,

yad din na bor ni bor,

bonna a nuffa fulla vulla.

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A dos shi dat in na shor,

a dos shi dat in na shor,

vain min ni crest ni ver ni ring.

nug ma ig ni, diddi un si.

Vain in nuffer fuller nuffer vain,

i nuffer fuller nuffer newing ner naring

me crest ver ner ni-ing.

nug ma ig ni, diddi un si.

Oush ing gofh, var di mil sing gof,

var di mil sil go, ni shi no

a van a noris si nor

a ya i ka, hi di in si.

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