Stair na hÉireann | History of Ireland

Stair na hÉireann | History of Ireland

Irish History, Culture, Heritage, Language, Mythology

#OTD in 1944 – Birth of Ralph McTell in England. Best known for his song ‘Streets of London’, which has been covered by over two hundred artists around the world, and for his tale of Irish emigration, ‘From Clare to Here’.

Stair na hÉireannHistory, Irish Arts, Irish MusicFrom Clare To Here, Guitarist, Irish Folk Singer, Ralph McTell, songwriter, Streets Of London

One of the great storytellers, Ralph McTell, known for his virtuoso guitar style, is primarily a prolific and gifted songwriter. With a style that invites you into a unique world, he weaves a narrative that is both significant and poignant.

Ralph made his debut in 1968 with the album ‘Eight Frames a Second’ and in 1974 the release of ‘Streets of London’ earned him an Ivor Novello Award. In 1993, Nanci Griffith recorded ‘From Clare to Here’ on her Grammy Award winning album and in 2002 he was presented with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

‘From Clare To Here’

There’s four who share the room
And we work hard for the craic
And getting up late on Sunday’s
I never get to mass

It’s a long, long way from Clare to here
It’s a long, long way from Clare to here
Oo, It’s a long, long way; it gets further day-by-day
It’s a long, long way from Clare to here

When Friday night comes around
And he’s only into fighting
My mum would like a letter home
But I’m too tired for writing

It’s a long, long way from Clare to here
It’s a long, long way from Clare to here
Oo, It’s a long, long way; it gets further day-by-day
It’s a long, long way from Clare to here

And the only time that I feel alright
Is when I’m into drinking
It ease off the pain a bit
And levels out my thinking

It’s a long, long way from Clare to here
It’s a long, long way from Clare to here
Oo, It’s a long, long way; it gets further day-by-day
It’s a long, long way from Clare to here

When it almost breaks my heart
When I think of Josephine
I promised I’d be coming back
With pockets full of green

It’s a long, long way from Clare to here
It’s a long, long way from Clare to here
Oo, It’s a long, long way; it gets further day-by-day
It’s a long, long way from Clare to here

I dream I hear a ‘piper playing
Maybe it’s a notion
I dream I see white horses danc’
On that other ocean

It’s a long, long way from Clare to here
It’s a long, long way from Clare to here
Oo, It’s a long, long way; it gets further day-by-day
It’s a long, long way from Clare to here

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