"EILEEN AROON."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1407, 6 April 1912, Page 6

"EILEEN AROON."

Sir,—ln your issue of Maich 25, thero appears a letter by your, correspondent, Mr. O'f/'.-iry, (akin;; jour musical critic It) task for his remarks on tlm. above, soil},'. It seems to me thai; bnl.h these correspondents are :it fault. Mr. O'Leary says "that this 'Robin Adair' was. a member of Parliament." This is not correct, as ho was a medical doctor; but there, wore, two Robin Ailairs, also two songs named lio same. Mr. O'f.eary also says that I his lnan lioln'n Adair was married to l.iiily Caroline Keppell in 1750. This should bo 1758. For the benefit of many of your readers I am forwarding you a cutting taken from tho "Weekly "Scotsman" of September 1C last on "Who was liobin Adair," by .1. O'ulhbert ITaddon. I am sure it will Iw interesting to your musical critic, also Mr. O'Loary and many nf your readers who mav not liavo access to these. Home papers. I hope you will Ix) able to find room in your vainable paper for sa;n«.—l am, etc., TIJOS. M. MILLIGAN. March 29. [We unfortunately cannot sparo spaco lor tho interesting article obligingly for-v.-arr,(..| by (,nr c()rr'-;pr )m lrnt-. Wo mav briefly note some of (he points in it, liowKver. I'he «r,t liobin Adair was a popuar and jolly v.-Jm lived at llollvbronk, Wicklo-.v, in th>: early eighteenth century. The .sont; about him was written about 17211. This is the first verse: You're welcome to Puekitown, I'ofcin Adair. How dues Johnny Macrel do Aye, and Luke Gardner too, why didn't they come with you? Jfobiji Adair. Mr. Cuthbert Haddeu's comment cover* the essential facts: "Thero is just one circumstance, to explain how this mediocre, song obtained the vogue it did, uarao- ,', 2,,-,!., lvas subsequently E et to the air of Lileen Aroon," which had been popularised in Ireland by Mrs. Sterling ls that identical air to which is eudb our 'Kobin Adair' to-day."]