Home | Folk Music |
Sea Songs |
First: A-Roving Prev.: Hilo Somebody Return to Song Table Next: Homeward Bound Last: Yellow Girls
Listen. Artist: Geoff Graingerhttp://ameba.lpt.fi/~zaphod/irish/lyrics/the_holy_ground		 The Holy Ground

"The Holy Ground" has a very special significance to me as it was the mess hymn of the Petty Officer's Mess of H.M.S. Lofoten, a fine old lady in which I had the privilege to serve in 1964. The Mess President, a fine Irish stoker from Dublin and a little long in the tooth (I was a mere stripling of 23 at the time dammit, and he was an ancient sod of some 45 years or more) had the song printed for our convenience. He ran a smart mess and sartorial elegance was the order-of-the-day. I was the youngest petty officer by more than 13 years, the next oldest was a seaman petty officer, Tony Hull, a Mancunian, from whom (grammar) I learned some pretty ribald stuff and who was starting on his late thirties. Every party or ceilidh, life was just one long party in that ship, was officially opened by ranting out this song and I reckon we could be heard over several leagues when roaring out in unison "Fine girls ye are".
At that time I didn't note it down but recovered the song years later from Roy Palmer's The Oxford Book of Sea Songs. Brian Kelly also knew the song so it was great fun to sing it with him. As a really, really loud song, "The Holy Ground" goes fine with Yellow Girls and one of Brian Kelly's favourites, "Johnny goes down to Hilo".
"The Holy Ground" has been recorded by:
CD tracks/info The Clancy Brothers on "Greatest Hits" CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) Order CD's at Amazon.com Order CD's at Amazon.co.uk Order CD's at Amazon.de Order CD's at Amazon.fr Order CD's at Amazon.ca Order CD's at Amazon.it Order CD's at Amazon.es
CD tracks/info The Clancy Brothers on "Reunion" CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) Order CD's at Amazon.com Order CD's at Amazon.co.uk Order CD's at Amazon.de Order CD's at Amazon.fr Order CD's at Amazon.ca Order CD's at Amazon.it Order CD's at Amazon.es
CD tracks/info The Dubliners on "The Best Of The Dubliners: Irish Favorites" CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) Order CD's at Amazon.com Order CD's at Amazon.co.uk Order CD's at Amazon.de Order CD's at Amazon.fr Order CD's at Amazon.ca Order CD's at Amazon.it Order CD's at Amazon.es
CD tracks/info The Dubliners on "Wild Rover" CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) Order CD's at Amazon.com Order CD's at Amazon.co.uk Order CD's at Amazon.de Order CD's at Amazon.fr Order CD's at Amazon.ca Order CD's at Amazon.it Order CD's at Amazon.es
CD tracks/info Pete Seeger on "Live At Newport" CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) Order CD's at Amazon.com Order CD's at Amazon.co.uk Order CD's at Amazon.de Order CD's at Amazon.fr Order CD's at Amazon.ca Order CD's at Amazon.it Order CD's at Amazon.es
CD tracks/info The Wolfe Tones on "Rifles of the I.R.A." CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) Order CD's at Amazon.com Order CD's at Amazon.co.uk Order CD's at Amazon.de Order CD's at Amazon.fr Order CD's at Amazon.ca Order CD's at Amazon.it Order CD's at Amazon.es
CD tracks/info Various Artists on "Ireland in Music and Song" CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) Order CD's at Amazon.com Order CD's at Amazon.co.uk Order CD's at Amazon.de Order CD's at Amazon.fr Order CD's at Amazon.ca Order CD's at Amazon.it
CD tracks/info The Clancy Brothers on "Ain't It Grand Boys: Unissued Gems" CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) Order CD's at Amazon.com Order CD's at Amazon.co.uk Order CD's at Amazon.de Order CD's at Amazon.fr Order CD's at Amazon.ca
CD tracks/info Jimmy Crowley on "Uncorked" Order CD's at Amazon.com Order CD's at Amazon.co.uk Order CD's at Amazon.de Order CD's at Amazon.fr Order CD's at Amazon.ca Order CD's at Amazon.it Order CD's at Amazon.es
CD tracks/info Various Artists on "Legends Of Ireland" Order CD's at Amazon.com Order CD's at Amazon.co.uk Order CD's at Amazon.de Order CD's at Amazon.fr Order CD's at Amazon.ca Order CD's at Amazon.it Order CD's at Amazon.es
CD tracks/info The Clancy Brothers on "Greatest Hits" Order CD's at Amazon.com Order CD's at Amazon.co.uk Order CD's at Amazon.de Order CD's at Amazon.fr Order CD's at Amazon.it Order CD's at Amazon.es
CD tracks/info The Dubliners on "Definitive Transatlantic Collection" Order CD's at Amazon.com Order CD's at Amazon.co.uk Order CD's at Amazon.de Order CD's at Amazon.fr Order CD's at Amazon.it Order CD's at Amazon.es
CD tracks/info Various Artists on "An Irish Celebration" Order CD's at Amazon.com Order CD's at Amazon.co.uk Order CD's at Amazon.de Order CD's at Amazon.fr Order CD's at Amazon.ca Order CD's at Amazon.it
CD tracks/info The Evergreens on "The Irish Rover" Order CD's at Amazon.com Order CD's at Amazon.co.uk Order CD's at Amazon.de Order CD's at Amazon.fr Order CD's at Amazon.it
CD tracks/info Brian Kelly on "Brian Kelly In Memoriam" CDs at Ditty Box Enterprises
CD tracks/info Various Artists on "I Love Sing-Along Irish Pub Favourites" Order CD's at Amazon.com Order CD's at Amazon.co.uk Order CD's at Amazon.de Order CD's at Amazon.fr Order CD's at Amazon.ca
CD tracks/info Various Artists on "Gems From The Emerald Isle Vol. 1" Order CD's at Amazon.com Order CD's at Amazon.co.uk Order CD's at Amazon.fr Order CD's at Amazon.ca
CD tracks/info The Dubliners on "Complete Dubliners Vol.1" Order CD's at Amazon.co.uk Order CD's at Amazon.de Order CD's at Amazon.fr
CD tracks/info Various Artists on "Emerald Favourites" Order CD's at Amazon.co.uk Order CD's at Amazon.de Order CD's at Amazon.fr
CD tracks/info Pete Seeger on "Live at Newport 1963-1965" Order CD's at Amazon.co.uk Order CD's at Amazon.de Order CD's at Amazon.fr
CD tracks/info Various Artists on "Heritage of the Celts" MP3 Album(s) Order MP3 Album at Amazon.com Order MP3 Album at Amazon.de