The Girls from the Glen

The Girls from the Glen has proved an elusive song to piece together. I first became aware of it when reading ‘Welcome to a Kerry Glen’ a publication of Pat O’Leary’s of Ballynabloun, The Glen, in which a couple of verses were written. I collected a few other verses from Paddy Daly, Tooreen, The Glen a year or so later. A version was also donated by Nora King, Fermoyle. The version below is a combination of all them. Additional information was collected from Mike Sheamus O’Sullivan.

‘On a Sunday afternoon the girls and the boys used to go to Puffin Island. Their landing place was ‘Cuas a Bháid’, then they would roam around the Island. There was a little platform for them to dance a set and they would wear out their partners. On the way home the men would be tired and weary, and in case of need the girls would pull the oars and steer the craft into some rock until they arrived at Caladh shore.’

Collected from Mike Sheamus O’Sullivan by Bríd Uí Bhraonáin Jan 2006