Maire My Girl was written by Irish poet John Keegan Casey and published in 1867 in his collection of poems called, A Wreath of Shamrocks.
Casey is best known for writing The Rising of the Moon about the 1798 Irish Rebellion. He wrote several other nationalist poems, but as Maire My Girl, shows he was also comfortable writing love poetry.
The music was composed by George Aitken.
Maire is pronounced Moyer.
This version is sung by Richard Tauber, but it was also recorded by several other leading performers in the first half of the 20th century, including John Mccormick, Josef Locke and Tom Burke.
The lyrics to Maire My Girl by John Keegan Casey
Over the dim blue hills strays a wild river
Over the dim blue hills rests my heart ever
Dearer and brighter than jewels and pearl
Dwells she in beauty there Maire my girl.
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Down upon Claris heath shines the soft berry
On the brown harvest tree droops the red cherry
Sweeter thy honey lips softer the curl
Straying adown thy cheeks Maire my girl.
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‘Twas on an April eve that I first met her
Many an eve shall pass ere I forget her
Since my young heart has been wrapped in a whirl
Thinking and dreaming of Maire my girl.
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She is too kind and fond ever to grieve me
She has too pure a heart e’er to deceive me
Was I Tyrconnell’s chief or Desmond’s earl
Life would be dark, wanting Maire my girl.
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Over the dim blue hills strays a wild river
Over the dim blue hills rests my heart ever
Dearer and brighter than jewels or pearl
Dwells she in beauty there Maire my girl.
