Willy Brennan

William "Willy" Brennan was an Irish Highwayman caught and hanged in County Cork in either 1804[1] or perhaps 1809 or 1812,[2] whose story was immortalised in the ballad "Brennan on the Moor".[3][4]

"Brennan on the Moor"

The earliest version of the ballad dates to the middle 19th century, either the 1830s [2] or to 1859, and various versions of the song were extant in Ireland, Great Britain, Canada and the United States in the 19th century.[1] The song's writer is unknown. It has been recorded by Burl Ives, The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, Phillip James and The Marshmen.

References

  1. 1 2 Norman Cazden, Norman Studer, Folk songs of the Catskills, State Univ of New York Press, 1983, pg 414
  2. 1 2 Steve Roud & Julia Bishop, eds. The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs Penguin Classics, 2002 ISBN 978-0-141-19461-5 p.496
  3. ↑ "Brennan on the Moor (trad.)". Bobdylanroots.com. 1992-10-16. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  4. ↑ Dictionary of Irish Biography 9 Volume Set
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