1. I Am Tuan
2. The First Battle Of Moytara
3. Maeves March
4. The Fall Of Gondolin
5. Cuchulainn (The Hound Of Culann)
6. Tain Bo Cuailgne
7. To Invoke The Horned God
8. Brian Boru
9. To Moytura We Return
1. I Am Tuan
2. The First Battle Of Moytara
They came here when the sun was high.
The sea was calm to meet them.
From out of the wind above the hills.
Come a fleet of godly men.
Borne on strong winds from the otherworld.
Shrouded by magical mists-
The Tuatha De Danann came in their-
Great magical mystical ships.
Nuada, king of Tuatha De,
Turned his eager sharp eyes
Towards the land of his ancestral home,
The valleys, The sea and the skies.
He was a giant among mortal men,
A hero among the immortals
Who led his people{warriors strong}
Back to the land of their fathers.
The Fir Bolg, Who were in Eireann before the Tuatha De Danann.
Sent streng their mighty champian to parley with the future king.
Breas was sent by Nuada to find out his intent,
"I greet you as a brother", said Streng "By Eochai Ive been sent".
The terms of battle were laid, half of Eireann Breas asked,
The Fir Bolg said this cant be paid, the time of goodwill has now passed.
Both sides made plans, they prepared their wells of healing,
Tribes and clans led by the chieftains and their kings.
The sun shone down on helmets, shields and swords,
Midsummers day-The two armies walked in haodes-
Towards Magh Nai-The Fir Bolg followed their chietains,
And swept towards the Tuatha DE like waves crash on the beaches.
The clash of sword and shield, The splintering of bone,
The Fir Bolg would not yield, Though they heard their peoples moans.
The naked hillmen warriors, were forced back through the fight,
Followed by his bodyguard, The Dagda took their lives
But the ground was piled high with the dead of the Tuatha De
All surviving warriors fled to live and fight another day.
"We have been defeated but tomorrows another day"
"Summon your courage. Prepare yourselves,
Tomorrow the Fir Bolg we slay"
Four more days of battle came and many fine warriors fell,
Mothers lost their fighting sons-The wounded healed in wells.
Nuada lost his strong right arm, Now he will lose his throne,
The sons of Nuada killed Eochai, But they too were overthrown.
Streng led the Fir Bolg to the fort and met with the injured,
Nuada, Both men declared a truce and Eireann was fairly divided.
3. Maeves March
4. The Fall Of Gondolin
The most beautiful city built on the middle-Earth,
Its splendour was highly acclaimed,
The Noldor Elf grew mighty and strong,
In the land were Turgon Reigned,
Then Tuor was sent by Ulmo-
The lord of the ocean and sea,
To tell the people of Gondolin,
Prepare to fight or flee.
But Turgon he was stubborn,
"That will I not do!".
He had grown to love his city,
And the terror of Morgoth he knew.
The city was discovered,
And Morgoth sent his legions,
Orc warriors with the fire-drakes,
Led by the Balrog demons.
They appeared before the gates and quickly the Gates fell,
The way was now clear, Through the Elven halls,
The orcs of such hatred poured into the breach,
With scimitars they stabbed both man and beast.
The Noldor Elf advanced with hammer of wrath,
And the kindred of the tree-bravely they fought,
The blows from their hammers, The dint of their clubs,
The orcs fell like leaves but this was not enough.
The lord of the Balrogs gathered his demons,
and made for the folk of the hammer.
They fled in terror rather than of craft,
Down in the plain they all gathered.
But a fire-drake was loosed upon them-
In the house of the hammer they died.
Still it is sung that each Elf of the hammer,
Took the lives of seven orcs to pay for their own.
Gothmog drove the dragons into the cities heart,
Orcs and Noldor fell under the confusion.
The cold-drakes began to tear the streets apart.
The Noldor began to realise the battle theyd lose.
The most beautiful city built on middle-Earth,
Its splendour was highly acclaimed
The Noldor Elf grew mighty and strong.
In the land were Turgon reigned,
But now it lay akin to ruins,
As the fire devoured its insides,
The last hope for the Elves who lived-
Was to run and flee and hide.
But Turgon was a noble king-
"That will I not do!",
He stayed to die with the city,
The only one he knew.
5. Cuchulainn (The Hound Of Culann)
The Hound of Culann, The Hound of Ulster,
He is of the otherworld,
His father is God Lugh Lamheada,
His mother Dectire is mortal.
Culann the smith was holding a feast,
For the Ard Ri Conchobhar,
His mighty Hound had been unleashed,
To guard the fortress mighty door.
Setanta arrived late at the gates,
He did not know of Culanns Hound,
The Hound attacked and met its fate,
It lay there dead upon the ground.
Culann was nagered when he learned,
His favorite Hound was no more,
But Setanta swore hed stay at night,
To guard the fortress mighty door.
He took up arms on that day,
Which Cathbad declared auspicious,
He who took up arms on that day,
Would become famous but short lived.
His body begins to twist and turn,
His flesh revolves within his skin,
His features turn red one by one,
And the slaying then begins.
He returned to Eamhain Macha,
And threatened to destroy the town,
The naked women were then brought forth,
He then began to calm down,
He fell in love with Emer,
Her father was appalled,
"No warrior shall be with her
unless by Domhnall he is called".
He went to train with Domhnall,
And learned from him all that he could,
You must go and train with Scathach,
He bowed his head and said he would.
Having learned the martial arts he
returned to claim the hand of Emer.
Her father he quickly refused,
Cuchulainn showed his battle temper
He entered the fortress and left many
of the warriors dead,
Emers father killed himself
The two lovers then were wed.
Cuchulainn, The Hound of Culann x3
He is the Son of a God.
Cuchulainn, The Hound of Culann x3
Serpents and Dragons he fought.
Cuchulainn solely defended Ulster,
During the mighty war and tain.
When Medb of Connaught invaded,
He stood his ground despite the pain.
He is called a tragic hero
With Caladin his Sword,
He killed his best friend Frediad
at the battle of the Ford.
Cuchulainn, The Hound of Culann x3
His is the Son of a God
Cuchulainn, The Hound of Culann x3
Serpents and Dragons he fought.
In Cuchulainns final fight,
A javelin was thrown at him,
It sliced his stomach like a knife,
and caused his innards to fall out.
He stagg
ered to a nearby lake,
Where he took a final drink.
A raven who was drinking his blood,
tripped over his intestines.
The hero gave a last great laugh,
and tied himself against a stone,
He faced his enemies standing up,
But he knew his life was quickly going.
For three days the foe were scared,
Until A crow perched on his arm,
An otter began to drink his blood,
"Cuchulainn is Dead", is what they said.
6. Tain Bo Cuailgne
I see a battle-A blonde man,
with much blood about his belt,
and a hero-halo Round his head,
whole hosts he will destroy.
His jaws are settled in a snarl,
he wears a looped, red tunic,
in thousands you will yield your heads,
His form dragonish in the fray.
A giant on the plain I see,
doing battle with the host,
holding in each of his two hands
four gore ladened battle-axes.
I see him hurling against that host,
Two Gae-bolga and a spear,
he towers on the battle field,
in breastplate and red cloak.
Across the bladed chariot wheel,
the warped warrior deals death,
that fair from I first beheld,
melted to a mis-shape.
I see him moving into the fray,
take warning, watch him well,
Cuchulainn, Suailtims son!
making dense massacre.
The blood starts from warriors wounds,
-total ruin, at his touch,
torn corpses, women wailing,
because of him-The Forge Hound
7. To Invoke The Horned God
He holds a twisted torc in his hand,
the forests are his ruling land.
"Great god Cernunnos, return to Earth again,
come at my call and show thyself to men,
sheperd of goats, upon the wild hills way,
lead thy lost flock from darkness unto day".
the Horned God is our nature deity,
yet modern man would from his presence flee.
"Forgotten are the ways of sleep and night,
men seek for them, whose eyes have lost the light,
open the door, the door that hath no key,
the door of dreams, wereby men come to thee".
Sheperd of goats, O answer unto me!
The summerlands is where we shall meet thee.
To invoke thee…
The Horned God.
8. Brian Boru
9. To Moytura We Return
On the day of the De Danann rule,
Breas ruled the pagan lands.
He led his people as a fool,
under the shadow of Balors hand.
The Tuatha De lived a life of pain,
in body and spirit their weakness grew,
as though their battle was in vain,
this cant go on the people knew.
Dagda, All father, once God and provider,
fell into disgrace with the king.
The food he recieved would not feed a spider.
-The best pieces, Cridinbel would win.
Aengus was shoked by the state of his father,
"Crindinbel must die", He did say.
He put gold in the food, and the food on the platter,
Crindinbel fell dead on that sacred day.
Nuada awoke from the otherworld dream,
his hand was forged by the gods,
water was brought from the healing stream,
"You will be king?". -He nods.
Breas journied to the Fomor lands.
And met his Fomorian father.
They held each other in their hands,
their kinship would stay hereafter.
The Il-Dana came to meet with Nuada,
the greatest hero of the Tuatha De,
The Fomor arrived for their early tax,
these savages Il-Dana did slay.
Balor declared war and sent his tribes,
Nuada prepared as did the scribes
Samhain approached and tensions were high,
Dagda went to the Fomor spy.
Breas the dishonoured led a Fomor invasion
the Il-Dana won this first battle occasion.
Back to Moytura the De Danann returned,
they set up camp and the pagan fires burned,
the first day of battle was a mighty event,
druids were chanting as the scouts forth were sent.
A great clash of shields,
cries of was frenzy,
blood fell on fields,
each warrior the enemy.
Nuada killed Indech,
the king of the Fomor,
the worm god was unleashed
with a taste for war.
Nuada raised his sword of light,
against the mighty Cromcruach,
Balor caught uhim in his sight,
Nuada died a heros death.
But Balor to the ground was cast,
Il-Dana was the new high king,
De Danann heroes won at last,
never again to laugh and sing.
The Middle Kingdom (2000)
1. A Celtic Mourning
2. Celtica (voice of the Morrigan)
3. The Fianna
4. A Druids Passing
5. Is fuair an chroö
6. Cattle Raid of Cooley
7. The Middle Kingdom
8. Oros do bheatha bhaile
9. Unstabled (Steeds of Macha)
10. The Butterfly
11. To Hell or to Connaught
1. A Celtic Mourning
2. Celtica (voice of the Morrigan)
On the ground he lays,
His lifeblood drains from him,
The battle has been fought,
And the fighting now stopped.
He scans the battlefield,
Oh the bloodshed he can see,
So many that have died,
And so few who survived.
His brothers men at arms,
Who hes known since he was a lad,
Lie silent by his side no longer alive.
Lying by a tree
Is a broken shattered man,
Killed by the sword in my warriors hand.
But in his heart
He does not hate this man,
He fought for a case,
He could not understand.
His brothers men at arms,
Who hes known since he was a lad,
Lie silent by his side no longer alive.
A thousand years have passed
And mankind has stayed the same,
They fight against each other for political gain,
A politic state rule – the government tool,
People live in fear under madman rule.
His brothers men at arms,
Whove been with him since he was a lad,
Will fight by his side for the right to survive.
A thousand years more
And the world may not exist,
The cause will be greed and an iron fist
The spirits will rejoice,
Mankind will not be missed.
Its up to you
It cannot come to this.
His brothers men at arms,
Whove been with him since he was a lad,
Will fight by his side for the right to survive.
3. The Fianna
4. A Druids Passing
5. Is fuair an chroö
6. Cattle Raid of Cooley
7. The Middle Kingdom
We who are old yet fair of face,
Thousands of years this world did grace,
Beneath the earth away from men,
Our Middle Kingdom it lies hidden.
With sword in hand and our shields by our sides,
We march in hoards we will never subside.
Our DÅ¡ Danann form has passed with time,
But still we love music and still we love wine.
We are of the forest, we are of the earth,
Our heads full of knowledge our ways full of mirth.
We know all the answers to questions unasked,
We live in the light with no fear of the dark.
It must be said we have dark evil breeds,
Who plague mankind with their mischievous deeds,
The Phooka, the Merrow, the wailing Bean-shee,
Are hideous creatur
es as dark as can be.
Avoid the lone thorn tree that grows in the field,
Do not cut it down with the axe that you wield,
It coarses magic from branch to root,
And woe to he who eats its fruit.
Of itself the tree did grow,
From faerie magic cast long ago,
Therefore we bid you to let it stand,
Ill fortune to those who ignore our command.
"We who are old, we are revered, born of the earth, immortal and feared"
In the dead of night see us dance on the hills,
On fiddles and flutes we play jigs and reels.
The sky is ablaze with a myriad of light,
Our faerie music is heard through the night.
We who are old yet fair of face,
Thousands of years this world did grace,
But modern man and his cynical ways,
Are bringing us to the end of our days.
8. Oros do bheatha bhaile
9. Unstabled (Steeds of Macha)
10. The Butterfly
11. To Hell or to Connaught
We fled for our lives on a winters eve,
Cold but unheeded, we left with speed.
The roundheads they had come this night,
Our gallant people ? But blood in sight.
If we were to barter for our lives,
We would wind up dead.
This is the land where I was born and bred,
Am I a coward to avoid being dead ?
These are the words of our forefathers,
Long ago, in a time of fear.
They say "what giveth returns time thee"
Now in this age, we will wait and see.
Condemn what you will in this war of worlds,
Shout if you want amid peaceful slurs.
But how do you stop a charging bull,
With horns of steel and a desire to cull ?
Ride On (2001 MCD)
1. Ride On (featuring Shane Mac Gowan on vocals)
2. Maeves March 2001
3. Sauron
4. To Hell or to Connaught
1. Ride On (featuring Shane Mac Gowan on vocals)
True you ride the finest horse I have ever seen,
Standing sixteen, one or two. With eyes wild and green,
And you ride the horse so well, hands light to the touch,
I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to.
Ride on, see you, I could never go with you
No matter how I wanted to.
When you ride in to the night without a trace behind,
Run your claw along my gut one last time.
I turn to face an empty space where once you used to lie,
And look for a spark that lights the night
Through a teardrop in my eye.
2. Maeves March 2001
3. Sauron
From the south a shadow will rise,
With blackened soul and an evil eye.
He will bring his terror to the land,
Those who oppose shall fall by his hand.
In the land of Mordor – blackest of all,
He sits on his throne in his darkest hall.
There he will plot against the North,
His orcs and demons will issue forth.
Sauron, Sauron, darkest of all,
The nine are abroad, you can hear them call.
Sauron, Sauron, the war you will win,
When you have reclaimed the ruling ring.
With Balrog tall and orc so small,
This army will make his enemies fall.
The hated Northeners are coming soon,
He bides his time, he sees their doom.
His ring is lost but not for long,
He knows the shire, this land of song.
The ring is there he sees it clear,
Soon to be his to rule in fear.
Sauron, Sauron, darkest of all,
The nine are abroad, you can hear them call.
Sauron, Sauron, the war you will win,
When you have reclaimed the ruling ring
4. To Hell or to Connaught
We fled for our lives on a winters eve,
Cold but unheeded, we left with speed.
The roundheads they had come this night,
Our gallant people ? But blood in sight.
If we were to barter for our lives,
We would wind up dead.
This is the land where I was born and bred,
Am I a coward to avoid being dead ?
These are the words of our forefathers,
Long ago, in a time of fear.
They say "what giveth returns time thee"
Now in this age, we will wait and see.
Condemn what you will in this war of worlds,
Shout if you want amid peaceful slurs.
But how do you stop a charging bull,
With horns of steel and a desire to cull ?
Folk-Lore – 2002
1. Bloody Sunday
2. Victory Reel
3. Death of a Gael
4. Rocky Road
5. Ossians Return
6. Spancill Hill
7. Children of Lir
8. Ride On
9. Susie Moran
10. Exiles
11. Horned God
4. Rocky Road (Cruachan version of "The Rocky Road To Dublin" folklore song)
In the merry month of June, from me home I started,
Left the girls a tune, nearly broken-hearted, saluted father dear,
Kissed me darlin mother, drank a pint of beer,
Me grieving tears to smother,
Then off to reap the corn, leave where I was born,
With the stout black horn to banish ghosts and goblins,
A brand new pair of brogues, rattling oer the bogs,
and frightening all the dogs on
The rocky road to Dublin; one two three four five
Hunt the hare and turning her down the rocky road,
and all the way to Dublin! Whack fol lal dee rah!
Well in Mullingar that night, I rested limbs so weary,
Started by daylight, me spirits blithe and airy, took the drop o the pure,
To keep me heart from sinking, thats the Paddys cure,
Whenever hes on for drinking,
To see the lassies smile, laughing all the while,
At me curious tales, which set your heart to bubblin,
Asked if I was hired, wages I required, till I was nearly tired of
Well in Dublin next arrived, I thought it such a pity, To be so soon deprived, a view of that fine city, so then I took a stroll,
All among the quality, bundle it was stole,
While in the neat locality,
Something crossed me mind, when I looked behind,
No bundle cord I find, upon me stick a wobblin,
Inquiring for the rogue, set me call to brogue, wasnt much in vogue on
Well from there I got away, me spirits never failing,
Landed on the quay, just as the ship was sailing, the captain at me roared,
Said that no room had he, when I jumped aboard,
A cabin found for Paddy,
Down among the pigs, theyd some funny rigs,
Danced some hearty jigs, the water round me bubblin,
When off Hollyhead, wished meself was dead, or better far instead down
The rocky road to Dublin; one two three four five
Well the boys of Liverpool, when we safely landed,
Called meself a fool, I could no longer stand it, blood began to boil,
Temper I was losin, for old Erins Isle,
They began abusing,
"Hurrah me soul," says I, me shillelagh I let fly,
Galway boys were nigh, and saw I was ahobblin
With a loud hurray, joining in the affray, we quickly cleared the way for
6. Spancill Hill
Last night as I lay dreaming of pleasent days gone by
Me mind been bent on rambling to Ireland I did fly
I stepped on board a vision and followed with a will
Till next I came to anchor at the cross near Spancill Hill.
Delighted by the novelty, enchanted with the scene
Where in me early boyhood where often I had been
I thought
I heard a murmer and I think I hear it still
Its the little stream of water that flows down Spancill Hill.
To amuse a passing fancy I lay down on the ground
And all me school copanions they shortly gathered round
When we were home returning we danced with bright goodwill
To Martin Moynahans music at the cross at Spancill Hill.
It was on the twenty-forth of June, the day before the fair
When Irelands sons and daughters and friends assembled there
The young, the old, the brave and the bold came their duty to fulfill
At the parish church in Clooney, a mile from Spancill Hill.
I went to see me neighbours to see what they might say
The old ones they were dead and gone, the young ones turning grey
I met the tailor Quigley, he as bold as ever still
For he used to make me britches when I lived at Spancill Hill.
I paid a flying visit to me first and only love
Shes as fair as any lily and gentle as a dove
She threw her arms around me, crying Johnny I love you still
She was a farmers daughter, the pride of Spancill Hill.
Well I dreamt I hugged and kissed her as in the days of yore
She said, Johnny youre only joking as many the times before
The cock crew in the morning, he crew both loud and shrill
And I woke in California, many miles from Spancill Hill.
8. Ride On
True you ride the finest horse I have ever seen,
Standing sixteen, one or two. With eyes wild and green,
And you ride the horse so well, hands light to the touch,
I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to.
Ride on, see you, I could never go with you
No matter how I wanted to.
When you ride in to the night without a trace behind,
Run your claw along my gut one last time.
I turn to face an empty space where once you used to lie,
And look for a spark that lights the night
Through a teardrop in my eye.