Peigín Leitir Móir

Peggy Lettermore
The original verses of the song were written in Irish by Máirtín Ó Clochartaigh and Pádraic Ó Maille of Leitir Cala more...

The original verses of the song were written in Irish by Máirtín Ó Clochartaigh and Pádraic Ó Maille of Leitir Caladh (a townland to the north of Leitir Mór, County Galway) around the turn of the 20th century. It was published in the review An Claidheamh Soluis in 1911. However, new verses were added at various times and places as the song gained popularity in Irish-speaking districts. In general, the song extols the beauty of a woman called Peigín, and tells how she attracts not only the poet but men from different districts. The song is also played as a polka, without lyrics, by traditional musicians.

From joeheaney.org: This is a song about a little baby, about six months old. And to anybody who didn’t understand what the song was about, to listen to it, to understand the words of it, you’d swear it was a song composed for a beautiful young woman…and the child was only six months old. And she was so nice, so beautiful, that the…poet, or whoever composed the song, was doing her justice before her time. But she– according to everybody, she deserved it.

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Irish

English

Chorus
O welcome and acclaimed
is she, my love!
Dear to my soul, a thousand told,
is Peggy Lettermore

Rise up, dear Peggy
and stand up on the height
count all your cattle,
and make sure they're all there

Chorus

I have Brid and I have Kate
but Peggy is the best of all
whichever man wins her hand,
a lucky man he will be

Chorus

I sent a message west to her,
that I would buy a large boat
She sent a message back to me
that a medium sized sailing boat would do

Chorus

The Galway fishermen are
sailing from the eastwith a fair wind
with the light of a bright moon
in order to see the "jewel."

Chorus
O welcome and acclaimed
is she, my love!
Dear to my soul, a thousand told,
She will soon be big!

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