(482KB)
| Sea Songs (482KB) | 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:
Brian Kelly on "Brian Kelly In Memoriam" 
Various Artists on "I Love Sing-Along Irish Pub Favourites" RealAudio 
Various Artists on "In Music & Song" RealAudio
Various Artists on "Legends Of Ireland" RealAudio
The Clancy Brothers on "Ain't It Grand Boys: Unissued Gems"
The Clancy Brothers on "Reunion"
Jimmy Crowley on "Uncorked"
The Dubliners on "The Best Of The Dubliners: Irish Favorites"
The Dubliners on "Wild Rover"
Various Artists on "Gems From The Emerald Isle Vol. 1"
Pete Seeger on "Live At Newport"
The Wolfe Tones on "Rifles of the I.R.A."
The Clancy Brothers on "Greatest Hits"
The Clancy Brothers on "Greatest Hits"
The Dubliners on "Definitive Transatlantic Collection"
The Evergreens on "The Irish Rover"
The Dubliners on "Complete Dubliners Vol.1"
Various Artists on "An Irish Celebration"
Various Artists on "Celtic Favourites"
Various Artists on "Emerald Favourites"
Pete Seeger on "Live at Newport 1963-1965"