So this song is of the Maid of Cúil Mór. Culmore in Northern Ireland, is a small village near Derry, Northern Ireland. Is as Cúil Mór in aice leis Doire í, an mhaighdean. It is at the mouth of the River Foyle). It is Irish traditional with origin unknown and many variations. Oh first, what’s it about ? So it could be about a fair maiden who sails from Cúil Mór to America – likely an emigrant. Meanwhile, a boy who is besotted with love for her from first sight, laments her leaving Ireland and sails to America to find her but never does. Or is it a lament for the plight of the Irish people in having to emigrate away from their home land to find a better life, or is it about a boat instead ?

By the way Cúil Mór means the ‘Great Corner or Nook’.

I felt that the verses 1 to 4 were incomplete as we don’t know how the story unfolds. Perhaps there was another or more verses originally but they have been lost with time.

I added another verse which I felt would bring this song to its conclusion. The only thing we know for sure is that the hero and the heroin never met in this life. According to gaelic legend, a person’s spirit will return to that person’s homeland after they part from this life. We know they could only ever possibly be reunited once they have both made their final journey in life.

At the time that I wrote the 5th verse I had just learnt that a school friend of mine Helen had passed away of an incurable brain cancer, and she died young and way too early in life. I thought she must have been lying awaiting, sadly – as the light started to fade away from her time with us.

I wrote it in less than five minutes as I wandered around the block of my accommodation in Dunedin New Zealand in 2017.

It means the following:

• ‘Now the maid lies a-waitin’. The maid is close to her time left running out.
• ‘As the light starts to fade’. On her life.
• ‘For she’s bound home to Erin’. Her spirit will return to Ireland.
• ‘To the land our Lord made’. A reference to the likelihood that the Maid was Irish catholic.
• ‘But the next time I see her’.
• ‘I will grieve never more’.
• ‘For she’ll e’er be my true love’.
• ‘She’s the Maid of Cúil Mór’. The rest just fits the meter of the rest of the verses using the same style and type of prose. All verses end in Cúil Mór or Culmore.

I feel this verse is kind of my tribute to my sweet friend Helen. Helen RIP the angels are with you.

Oh before I forget. Helen was exceptionally beautiful inside and out with a pure heart, and looked like an angel with classical celtic looks; wavy, long red (rua) hair – I’ll have to switch to Irish here as the English description does no justice to it, but as I’m still learning may get this only approximately correct: I’ll just put this in for now and come back to it later once I’m more confident in how to say what I want to say ! ‘Bhí sí (Helen) go hálainn (beautiful) le gruaig fhada rua uirthi (with long red/auburn hair ‘on her’), agus bhí ceann, cúl, craobhach uirthi (and was flowing, head of hair on her)’. When I listen to this song I think of Helen and imagine here to be the Maid of the song.

Just to end on a lighter note, I went to Culmore which is just outside of Derry on Loch Foyle – and went for a pint of Guiness in the pub there ,and asked about the song and the barmaid and staff had never heard of it !

And wait for it, I actually met Carla Dillon after her concert on Friday 6 May 2022 in Edinburgh at the Queen’s Hall. I went up to her to buy some merchandise and her longstanding pianist was there too – Sam Lakeman; they are both musically very gifted. Being exceptionally naughty, I started to speak to them in Gaelige/Irish knowing full well that Cara cannot speak Irish; I said ‘C’as tú Cara ?’ which is in the dialect of Ulster which I have been learning and applies for Dungiven, near Derry which is where Cara is from; and she says to me ‘I dont understand what you are saying to me’ !. Actually, there’s more but I’ll add to it later.

Verse 1

Leavin’ sweet lovely Derry.

For fair London town.

There is no finer harbour.

All around can be found.

Where the youngsters each evenin’.

Go down to the shore.

And the joy bells are ringin’.

For the maid of Cúil Mór.

Verse 2

The first time I saw her.

She pass-ed me by.

And the next time I saw her.

She bade me good-bye.

But the last time I saw her.

It grieved my heart sore.

For she sailed down Lough Foyle and…

…away from Cúil Mór.

Verse 3

If I had the power.

The storms for to rise.

I would make the wind blow out.

I’d darken the skies.

I would make the wind blow high.

And the salt seas to roar.

To the day that my darlin’.

Sailed away from Cúil Mór.

Verse 4

To the back parts of America.

My love I’d go and see.

For its there I know no-one.

And no-one knows me.

But if I don’t find her.

I’ll return home no more.

Like a pilgrim I’ll wander.

For the maid of Cúil Mór.

Verse 5 (added by author)

Now the maid lies a-waitin’.

As the light starts to fade.

For she’s bound home to Erin.

To the land our Lord made.

But the next time I see her.

I will grieve never more.

For she’ll e’er be my true love.

She’s the Maid of Cúil Mór.

From the Redcastle sessions

Here’s another version by the Bothy Band which is also awesome. These are the only two versions I have found so far which do credit to this beautiful song. I also have the lyrics for this which I posted on mudcat.org site as people were looking for the lyrics in very old threads probably before Google and Youtube came along making searches easy.

1. From sweet Londonderry, to the fair London Town
There is no other nicer harbour, anywhere to be found
Where the children each evenin’, is a-playin’ around the shore
And the joybells are ringin’, for the maid of Cúil Mór.

2. The first time that I met her, she passed me by
The next time that I met her, she bade me goodbye
But the last time that I met her, she grieved my heart sore.
For she sailed down Lough Foyle, and away from Cúil Mór.

3. If I had the power, the storm to rise
I would blow the wind higher, for to darken the skies
I would blow the wind higher, to make the salt seas to roar
On the day that my love sailed, away from Cúil Mór.

4. To the north of America, my love I’ll search for
For there I know no one, nor no one knows me
But should I not find her, I’ll return home no more
But like a pilgrim I will wander, for the maid of Cúil Mór.

5. [2 repeats]

Ok so I’m interested in this comment below the Youtube video which has me intrigued. Is it really about a ship or a real girl ?

It’s a song about a ship, the Maid of Coolmore,  sailing off to America, and it opens with what was, essentially, an announcement of the ship’s sailing. The ship is equated, poetically, to the girl in the song who is sailing away.