Kilkelly - Robbie O'Connell

[@AW447]

I have several times tried to get Robbie O'Connell to sing this at his concerts - all but once he declined kindly, saying that he did not feel "suicidal enough" to sing it. I am thankful for the once.

[@Monaghan]

Probably the only song I've ever heard to make me cry. Heartbreaking.

[@pjm48]

The only song that always makes me cry.

[@DoobSteppe]

Lost my Irish Grandmother to cancer six years ago. I was in a bad place at the time, where they had cut my phone call short in mid-conversation before we could say our goodbyes. St. Patrick's Day always brings me back to that moment... but it's a joy to celebrate her life and my Irish heritage all the same. Bless you all; be proud of where you came from, wherever that may be. Cheers.

[@tobiasoellers146]

The saddest yet finest song I know. Robbie‘s Voice is stunning, haunting and beautiful. I love to hear this song. and to sing it myself. One of my all time Favs. Wonderful.

[@rosie-cotton4262]

My Dad was Irish and he loved this song. He had a VHS recording of Robbie Oconnell performing it live on the BBC. He missed the first minute of the song because he couldn't shove the tape in the machine and press the record button quick enough 😆 Listening to this brings back good memories, he passed away in September of cancer. I miss him so much. I will always treasure this song 💕

[@CTyankee4277]

I'm an American (of Irish heritage on my mother's side) and discovered this song listening to a college radio station in New York City. This has to been one of the saddest songs I've heard since "Fruit Tree" by Nick Drake. I was really moved by this song - beautiful and sad.

[@anihtgenga4096]

Even though you might prosper in exile, it's still . . . exile. And the pain never fades.

[@fromthe4621]

This one hits deep. It's been more than 2 years for me now on 9/11/19

[@heinzlegermain]

I'm french (16 years old) and I studied this song at School, It's really magic and beautiful, but really sad ! I can't stop listening this song again and again, Peter Jones has made great (but really sad) lyrics. Thanks for this beautiful song !

[@nbakix]

Josian Tulasne Now you are 24 ^^ Years are so fast.

[@nbakix]

Josian Tulasne i am 16 now^^

[@Under_Your_Bed_]

You're 3 now 😮

[@justforever96]

I could tell these were based on old letters. The wording and tone is perfect, even in altered form. The truth of it makes it even more powerful and sad. I love looking through old family letters and such, because there is this sweet and terrible tragedy to them, these lives one now, echoes from the past.

[@foggydew3614]

justforever96 mate I'm half albanian and half italian I can say that this song speaks directly to my heart because I am the daughter of an imigrant... today is 25 years from the day my mum left her hometown, Durres, her childhood friends and her job to come to Italy and marry my dad...there was a civil war and she didn't even know if she could have seen her homeland and family again

[@altemail9767]

I have the exact same name as you lol

[@loicd83]

I spend about my grandpa when I hear this music. Rest in peace 😭

[@retrobluemusic]

had to look up songs from my Irish roots and it didn’t disappoint

[@mikeseigle5560]

I use this song as a teaching aide to my college students. Many of the immigrants can relate to this song.

[@jonhedge]

This is one of the saddest songs that I've ever heard but very beautiful at the same time, I found it on a compilation Album called Bringing it All Back Home Vol 1, which I found in a Hardware store in Mt Vernon Ohio a few years ago, sung by this Artiste, An excellent song on an excellent Album

[@nbakix]

jonhedge 9 years ago wwwo , r u alive:)

[@WhitbyBhoy]

To be Irish is to know, that in the end, the world will break your heart. - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

[@eyeThink11]

Man thats a hell of a quote! Wow😮😢

[@FrankDoran-f8z]

Fantastic song well sung by Robbie

[@naps160]

really great song, can listen to it all day long

[@Taritaritarara]

for two years my english teacher showed me this song. at this time I heard the song the first time I'd cry. Now after two years I hear this song again. And I have to cry again. So a sad song :(~ Love it! It really touches me.

[@billyadkins1255]

Simply Beautiful.....

[@GreenManelishi]

A truly beautiful, and haunting, song.

[@maryredmond]

Love the song - heard it first more than 15 yrs ago as I drove to work - sat in the parking lot to fix my face - the father was like my grandfather, only some many years earlier. From the same part of Ireland and used the same words .... Thanks. Mary Redmond

[@nbakix]

Mary Redmond how old r u now after all these years:)

[@tobiasoellers146]

I thought for long, thinking about what my fav Song ever might be because I know so many I love, but now I am sure that I found it. This is it.

[@emotionel951]

I Love ireland and Love this song 😃

[@kimmyneumann2195]

Same

[@jeffmurphy1019]

having Irish blood in me as well there a part of me that wish I could go to my home land and get in touch with my past. I would love to know more about the Murphy's

[@kimmyneumann2195]

I feel ya

[@pleuni101]

Beautiful song and pictures...great !

[@baylego]

i spent years trying to find this song again.

[@brody140]

best irish song based on a true letter bundle thought that was cool and hope to vist killkelly ireland soon i hope i can vist the chuch a put flowers down for the graves :(

[@briancarkill]

brilliant singer and beautiful song

[@wendywendymatson5251]

Wow what a beautiful place

[@cecedidisoulangel1]

beautiful

[@d0ma1n92]

saddest song ever.. and it will stay..

[@bobdacreepable]

@CredoCatholicJournal iwill be there on christmas for the first time..cant wait..thanx for the invite!!

[@erwinluise1824]

wow, thats what the world should be

[@PaulPullermann]

great voice

[@s4lis]

we had this song in our english lesson=)

[@heinzlegermain]

Thanks, I know that these are not "his" lyrics because he read old letters. But I think he has changed a lot of words in order to create a nice song. That's normal. Thanks for your answer

[@ottokar6318]

Im 73 ,in France that i dont consider as my country any more, and if i f be younger, i d emigrate to ireland.

[@mossie2644]

nice job!!!!

[@Galbatorxx]

Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 60, my dear and loving son John Your good friend the schoolmaster Pat McNamara's so good As to write these words down. Your brothers have all gone to find work in England, The house is so empty and sad The crop of potatoes is sorely infected, A third to a half of them bad. And your sister Brigid and Patrick O'Donnell Are going to be married in June. Your mother says not to work on the railroad And be sure to come on home soon. Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 70, dear and loving son John Hello to your Mrs and to your 4 children, May they grow healthy and strong. Michael has got in a wee bit of trouble, I guess that he never will learn. Because of the dampness there's no turf to speak of And now we have nothing to burn. And Brigid is happy, you named a child for her And now she's got six of her own. You say you found work, but you don't say What kind or when you will be coming home. Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 80, dear Michael and John, my sons I'm sorry to give you the very sad news That your dear old mother has gone. We buried her down at the church in Kilkelly, Your brothers and Brigid were there. You don't have to worry, she died very quickly, Remember her in your prayers. And it's so good to hear that Michael's returning, With money he's sure to buy land For the crop has been poor and the people Are selling at any price that they can. Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 90, my dear and loving son John I guess that I must be close on to eighty, It's thirty years since you're gone. Because of all of the money you send me, I'm still living out on my own. Michael has built himself a fine house And Brigid's daughters have grown. Thank you for sending your family picture, They're lovely young women and men. You say that you might even come for a visit, What joy to see you again. Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 92, my dear brother John I'm sorry that I didn't write sooner to tell you that father passed on. He was living with Brigid, she says he was cheerful And healthy right down to the end. Ah, you should have seen him play with The grandchildren of Pat McNamara, your friend. And we buried him alongside of mother, Down at the Kilkelly churchyard. He was a strong and a feisty old man, Considering his life was so hard. And it's funny the way he kept talking about you, He called for you in the end. Oh, why don't you think about coming to visit, We'd all love to see you again.

[@fyndorian]

Check Robbie Oconnell's cds...it is on several of his

[@aevin_io]

im from greece. just studied/been in edinburgh for a year.. anyways, this song is touching :/

[@bambinyclady]

Love this.. No Irish blood in me but an my 32 year old son is part Irish.. :)

[@resqray87]

I enjoy this song. Makes me think of my Irish blood. The ancestors came over in the early 1850"s. They helped found and build St. Ignatius parish on the west side of Cleveland. It is funny, not tat I was actually looked down on but growing up I went to grade school at another heavy Irish parish. Most of the kids were 1st generation or 2nd generation. I wish I knew then what I know now. We are descendant of local Irish royalty. No chantey Irish here. I am of the lace curtain variety.

[@MystMoonstruck]

Ray Mickol We were poor Irish. Most came over as "bound slaves" aka bond servants, working off their passage. Families were scattered, including a brother and sister who were separated as children and didn't meet again till they were in their 60s. When I hear this song, I weep, knowing I'll never be able to go to Ireland. Since I was a little girl, I would say, "I'm going back to Ireland someday." They seemed to understand. None of us ever got back, no one from either side of the family. My father's people were from the southern part; my mother's from the north, as far as Antrim. We have some Indian/Native American mixed in but somehow found those of Irish descent to continue the family~not purposely, just by chance. I truly believed at one time that I would go there~till I grew too old and away from my dreams. I still play and sing the music, thanks to my bowed psaltery.

[@oceallaigh3980]

MystMoonstruck what a sad story you tell .you;l be in my prayers today .slan.

[@IAmRevan92]

There was no actually Irish ' royalty' either established our record ( though most of our records were either never kept properly or lost threw constant war with clans Saxons vikings and Britons ) that's not to say your family comes from a chiefdom in a area of Ireland there was so many never an established kingdom anywhere in the land , though many would claim to be high king and Brian borough was the best record of a 'unified king' so to speak but that didn't last long he was killed not long after his supposed 'proclamation' of a one king over them all . ultimately it's almost impossible to tell if any family stayed in power long enough or even had enough land to establish a kingdom and thus there was never an official Irish royal bloodline :\ I blame england for fucking our shit up tbh but we are known to be well uhm reckless lol

[@DeoFee]

Nice...

[@sethgossett1295]

The OG 1st person 7 years

[@ottokar6318]

Only irish soûl can make this kind of gem tune

[@orckiller91]

I was gonna say that lol you took care of it for me, thanks lol

[@catholicrik]

aye, Sad...yet to borrow a line from the devils own...." dont look for a happy ending Tom. It"s not an American story...It"s an Irish one" My mothers people were/are Dillons from west Meath, came over after the Famine. God bless them all.

[@kimmyneumann2195]

I’m in Canada but I’m Irish

[@panibabcia7732]

💔... 🥀

[@elishevacapobianco-s1960]

😢

[@burgerkindhanne334]

to s4lis: me too! this is a very great song! but i am so sad, when i hear this... :-(

[@dovie2blue]

Where are the lyrics?

[@nbakix]

What's this song about?

[@nudist0885]

It's from a series of letters written to John (in the United States) from his father (in Ireland) from the years listed in the lyrics between 1860 and 1992. The name of the town that the family lived in was Kilkelly in County Mayo. Search google for "Kilkelly Ireland Letters" and read any of the stories about it.

[@nbakix]

@@nudist0885 thank u

[@arkepsylon]

Yes ! è_é/

[@Synchronicety]

🥀☘🍻 if Ire just would know how we germans love you... we where hard fighting, last two times for lies and the EU Nazi thing... we know... today we order the truth with Amazon... no soul but a SUV and a big house for nothing. Beloved Eire, we know poverty!

[@misanthrop1958]

I envy everyone, who is Irish, because I am not...

[@kimmyneumann2195]

I’m Irish

[@TheFarthall]

connor macgregor is the austin powers bathro0om stall villian