‘Ned of the hills’ or Edmond O’Ryan (c.1670-1724) was a very noted person in his day.
With the confiscation of Irish Catholic land in the Act of Settlement (1652) he lost his property and became chief of a band of daring freebooters, known as ‘Rapparees’.
His eventual demise came when a man named Dwyer offered him shelter for the night and killed him while he slept. When Dwyer tried to collect the 200 pound reward he found that just a few days earlier it had been lifted due to an Englishman who had paid it when Ned had come to his aid after a robbery.
O’Ryan wrote some pieces of elegiac poetry of great beauty. The following lyrics are Samuel Lover’s version from the translation from Irish of his poem Edmond O’Ryan’s Love Elegy. In the original poem he seems to have been forsaken by his mistress for a more fortunate lover.
lyrics
Dark is the evening, and silent the hour,
Who is the minstrel by yonder lone tower?
His harp all so tenderly touching with skill;
Oh, who should it be, but Ned of the Hill?
Who sings, “Lady Love, come to me now,
Come and live merrily under the bough,
And I'll pillow thy head,
Where the fairies tread,
If thou wilt but wed with Ned of the Hill!"
Ned of the Hill has no castle nor hall,
Nor spearmen nor bowmen to come at his call;
But one little archer, of exquisite skill,
Has shot a bright shaft for Ned of the Hill,
Who sings, “Lady Love, come to me now,
Come and live merrily under the bough,
And I'll pillow thy head,
Where the fairies tread,
If thou wilt but wed with Ned of the Hill!"
'Tis hard to escape from that fair lady's bower,
For high is the window, and guarded the tower ;
"But there's always a way where there is a will"
So Ellen is off with Ned of the Hill!
Who sings, “Lady Love, thou art mine now!
We will live merrily under the bough,
And I'll pillow thy head,
Where the fairies tread,
For Ellen is wed to Ned of the Hill!"
Lyrics from "Songs and Ballads," by Samuel Lover
credits
from Irish Airs for Solo Cello,
released September 9, 2010
composed, arranged and performed by Ilse de Ziah
Irish-Australian cellist and composer Ilse de Ziah has a deep passion for composing, arranging and performing music for the
cello. Using traditional Irish melodies as source material, she creates contemporary arrangements perfectly suited for the cello. With the marriage of classical detail and folkloric tradition, this makes for a transcendent musical experience....more
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