Skibbereen

The town and area around Skibbereen were the epicenter of Ireland's Great Famine of 1845-1850, as thousands of people died of starvation and disease. In the Abbeystrewry graveyard just outside town are the coffinless remains of more than 9000 people buried in mass graves. The lament "Skibbereen" is sung here by Waxies Dargle and includes most but not all of the verses of the song. Except for the photos of Irish scenery at the beginning, the photos were taken in Skibbereen and at Abbeystrewry.

[@richardleigh2788]

This is where my grandmother was from, she was born there but was taken to England, London when she was only 2 years of age in about 1899. My quest is to go there to see skibereen myself. Her surname was croly. God bless you Nan. Xx

[@tonisumblin2719]

I’ve been to Ireland twice. I don’t have a drop of Irish blood. Grew up in inner city Los Angeles. But there’s something about Ireland that stirs my soul. The history is riveting, the landscape is hauntingly beautiful and the people are the best. This song brings tears to my eyes.

[@ObsidianCrocodile]

Oh I can never listen to this without tears streaming down my cheeks. God love every innocent who perished through greed,cruelty and downright evil perpetuated against the Irish. I’m proud to have Dublin genes and the Irish spirit , which, like many repressed people is strong, resilient and unbreakable ☘️ 🇮🇪 IS BREA LIOM EIRE

[@isaac_aren]

Watched this exact video in primary school basically when it was released. It got me into history and traditional music. Huge part of my life right here

[@sjbonadonna]

There just is no better version of this song ever played.

[@jamestheman1962]

Aye there is The Dubliner's but that aw depends on yer taste,tae me it was my auld Da,and aye I am biased as this was his fav song,and he was born way back in 1912,lol smacked a guy James Cowie once for calling him old,back in the day when boys did that stuff for their Da's,i am as Scottish as they come,but I think we came back tae Alba some where in 1825 or near enough,we had already had two clearances in the Highland hill's and Glens,an my Ma was a Stewart so being a rebel on both side did not help me at school,but it did make me one hell of a soldier,Revenge for Skibereen,never i my life have I loved song so much as my auld da's wish I could sing as near guid as this,poch mhon and Happy New Year all here.

[@CowboyJojosAdventures]

Thank you 🙏 this still brings chills to my spine. When I think that humans can be so cruel. A great video. Thank you for sharing. Brilliant!

[@ShillyO]

Thank you.

[@Scout1134]

My grandparents were both born in Skibbereen.

[@johnstokes5154]

It was a genocide, it was not a famine

[@timdewit6088]

No need to resort to inaccuracies to convey the horror of this tragedy. The Great Irish Famine was not a genocide, but the tragic culmination of centuries of mismanagement. British officials did not intend for the Famine to get as bad as it did, but their incompetence and the historical neglect of Ireland by the absentee Landlords ensured that the devastation got to that point.

[@lolmuc7529]

BULLSH1TE They were laughing all the way to the Bank as usual

[@timdewit6088]

Read a book, and I don't mean Nationalist rubbish like John Mitchell's Last Conquest of Ireland.

[@timdewit6088]

​@bill Bloggs They initially continued exporting food because the British clung to the notion of a free market, yeah, but they also imported food into Ireland for the purpose of alleviating the famine. It just wasn't enough. I maintain that the plan was not for millions of people to die, but that the situation got out of hand due to mindbogglingly flawed government policies (only providing relief to people who worked for it, for example) and the terrible infrastructure. It was colossal and inexcusable mismanagement on the part of the British government, but not genocide.

[@Shane_Leahy]

@@timdewit6088 Wouldn't go as far as genocide - but to deny or omit the malice behind that mismanagement you reference is to excuse evil.

[@ShillyO]

the quote is from Thomas Hood's poem, The Song of the Shirt, published in 1843. For other info, you might email an inquiry to the Skibbereen Heritage Center.

[@TheDulcigirl]

Beautifully sad!! Love it!

[@Gmoore54]

touches the soul both tune, voice and lyrics

[@danbreen6946]

What A Great Rendition Of This Sad Song

[@MarkRobertCuthbert]

Brilliant video and version. Go raibh maith agat for uploading, Sláinte!

[@syn1es2the3sia4]

Erin's Isle, all the way. Love this song.

[@ShillyO]

I am not sure, but I think those modern memorial stones were installed when Skibbereen was the site of Ireland's first National Famine Memorial Day on May 17, 2009.

[@TehMJB]

Revenge for Skibbereen!

[@hughtreanor682]

érin abú. sláinte!

[@gayhendrie84]

America sent shipboard of food but the English prevented it going in to port and it rotted Also potato was the only blighted crop but all the food was sent to England

[@TheEileenMGoode]

Beautiful

[@ShillyO]

Thank you

[@tonycarton8054]

so moving

[@johnfahy4333]

My family hail from Skibb and it's a wonder that any of them survived...Revenge for Skibbereen!!

[@johncarroll9986]

Genocide not famine

[@dennisvincent160]

research history before leaving ignorant comments unbelievably some Irish blame everyone except themselves crap vid too its all about a mundane tune ,oh by the way replies welcome

[@dennisvincent160]

@kbooax www.britannica.com/event/Great-Famine-Irish-history

[@dennisvincent160]

@kbooax www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1997/09/17/irelands-famine-wasnt-genocide/ac7f1aa9-123c-47ac-a9b0-7c2cab697d37/

[@danbreen6946]

@@dennisvincent160 How's about this one, You're a prick

[@petercotter6449]

​@@dennisvincent160idiot just one word

[@freddymarcel-marcum6831]

Cheerful place.

[@ShillyO]

The cemetery was peaceful and beautiful, considering that it is the site of mass graves.

[@timothycussen6059]

❤❤❤

[@robertcole4164]

I am because they were .

[@sheilaleary7558]

me, too. My great-great-grandparents were famine emigrants from Skib.

[@timothycussen6059]

All my worth

[@richardleigh2788]

Skibbereen

[@ShillyO]

Tá failte romhat!