History through Song: "The Foggy Dew"

In Ireland, songs are often used to commemorate certain events or times. Songs function as tiny history books, capturing the country’s stories in three to five minutes. The Irish song that most fit into this role of historical document was “The Foggy Dew.” The song honors one of the most celebrated rebellions in Irish history: the ill-fated Easter Rising of 1916. This rebellion was an explosive expression of growing Irish resentment against British rule, resentment that can be traced back to the British government’s lack of assistance during the Great Famine.

The Easter Rising began on April 24, 1916. A rebel force of roughly 1,250 captured the General Post Office in Dublin and several other important buildings around the city. From the steps of the GPO, rebel leader Patrick Pearse announced the formation of a new Republic of Ireland. However, the rebels’ meager forces and supplies were no match for the British Army, and they surrendered on April 29. By May 12, fifteen of the sixteen leaders had been executed at Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin, likely without fair trials, and were unceremoniously buried at what is now Arbor Hill Cemetery. Almost overnight, the executed leaders became martyrs for Irish independence, and they have been immortalized as heroes today. “The Foggy Dew” was written by priest Canon Charles O’Neill from County Down in 1919. Upon attending the first meeting of the Dail Eireann, or Irish Parliament, O’Neill was moved by the number of elected members’ names described as “prisoner of the foreigners.”

I first heard “The Foggy Dew” when I was eleven. Though I did not understand the history, I adored the lyrics and powerful, soaring melody. In summer 2013, as I started learning Irish songs in preparation for the trip, I was thrilled to find “The Foggy Dew” in one of the songbooks lent to me by my professor. I learned the song and performed it several times around Atlanta. In the Global Awareness course during the fall, I finally was able to connect the song with its inspiration. Learning the story of the Rising helped me relate to the song even more deeply.

While in Ireland, I performed “The Foggy Dew” three times: at Kilmainham Gaol, Sheehan’s pub in Killarney, and The Larches Bar in Finney. Because of a reprimand from a docent, I was not allowed to play the entire song at Kilmainham. Nevertheless, it was an incredibly moving experience for me to play part of “The Foggy Dew” at the site where the people it commemorates died. It really made Irish history feel much more immediate and alive for me.

Even more moving were the reactions from locals. In both Sheehan’s and The Larches, every local in the room sang along with me, and more often than not they knew all the words. They also sang it with audible and visible emotion, as if the 1916 rebels had just been executed last week. I was amazed at the level of emotion and connection that they had with “The Foggy Dew.”

I have seen songs function as brief history lessons before, but that role was particularly prevalent for Irish songs. Seeing the connection that the Irish have with “The Foggy Dew” proved to me that, for them, history is far from past. It is still incredibly important to them and ensures its immortality through songs.