Great Music Monday-Carrickfergus

This weeks Great Music is an old Irish tune that I first learned to apprecieate last April. While sitting in the tavern at Fort de Chartres, with the stories flowing as freely as the ale, one of the Chasseurs, Tatman, broke the general roar with the sound of shillelagh whacking against a table. Tatman stands up and begins to explain that he had just been informed of the passing of his good friend David Cooper. Coop is a legend in the mid-west among reenactors. He started sometime in either the late 60's or early 70's doing black powder shooting. He is a Charter Member of the Ouisconsin and Old Northwest Company and, as I like to say, the Godfather of the Illinois River Scum. There are many people my age and older who think of Coop as a hero.

Coop had started feeling poor in early 2006 and finally 9 months later, the doctors figured out what was wrong and started him on chemotherapy. Unfortunately, it was too late and Coop made his final portage in December 2006.

So we are in the tavern and Tatman begins this song for his departed friend.

Carrickfergus is a rather large city in Northern Ireland. But the song "Carrickfergus" is the lament of one who is sick and reaching the end of their life. Thinking back to the childhood memories, the singer is ready to go home to the friends and family he has lost.

It is performed by Orla Fallon of Celtic Woman. She is simply amazing.