‘’In the late 1970s or early 1980s Peter Jones discovered a collection of century-old letters in his parents’ attic in The letters had been sent by his great-great-great-grandfather, Bryan Hunt, to his son, Jones’ great-great-grandfather, John Hunt, who had emigrated from Kilkelly, County Mayo, to the United States in 1855 and worked on the railroad. As Bryan was illiterate, the letters were dictated to the local schoolmaster, Pat McNamara), who often wrote letters on behalf of his neighbours who were unable to read and write’’- Wikipedia
I heard this song 15 years ago in Ireland. I lost it there on and searched for it all along. I was not able to remember these lyrics. Fortunately and pleasantly I found it again when I was browsing on the internet.
It is a poignant story of a family which was left behind in the great migration. It is the story of separation. I t is the story of loss and absence. Behind the tragic tone of these words, there is a humane story. Behind the veneer of tragedy, there is a celebration of the great human spirit.
If you keep listening to this song many times it will grow on you. Its essence will starts appearing.
As emigrants, the song will somehow touch you somewhere.
