"Robin Adair"—An Irish Melody

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 19, 21 November 1930, Page 4

"Robin Adair"—An Irish Melody

Brought to Scotland T is interesting to note that the melody of "Robin Adair," one of the songs on the Scottish programme to be broadeast from 4YA on Tuesday, November 25, is now claimed to have come from Ireland. According to tradition it was composed by the Irish ‘harper, Carrol O’Daly, in the latter part of the 14th century, and was inspired by a romantic incident of his own life. . O’Daly loved an Dllen O’Cavanagh, of the County of Connaught, but her family looked unfavourably on his suit. When O’Daly returned from an enforced absence, he found that Bllen had been prevailed on by her relatives to promise her hand to another. Filled with despair he sought a solitary spot, and, from a full heart, composed the song "Wileen Aroon"’-the melody we know as "Robin Adair." Next, day, disguised as a harper, O’Daly appeared at the wedding festivities, and at the request of the bride herself played his newly-composed air. The song had the desired effect. Reecognising in the disguised travelling musician the identity of the harper, Wileen experienced a return of: affection for her former lover and eloped with him that night. Although this melody was printed as an Irish air at least as early at 1729 it subsequently appeared in several 18th century collections of Scotch melodies. It was the custom in olden times for Irish harpers and wandering minstrels to make trips through Scotland in much the same way as an artist tours a foreign country to-day. The celebrated Irish harper, Dennis O’Hempeny, born in 1695, made a tour of Scotland, in his youth, and played as one of his most popular airs, the melody of "Hileen Aroon." This was taken up and widely circulated by the Highland minstrels, and was published and presented as a Scottish air, to which were eventually fitted the words of "Robin Adair."