March 2025 - "Teddy O'Neill"

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In honor of St. Patrick’s day, this month’s tab is an arrangement of the traditional Irish ballad “Teddy O’Neill”. The words were written by the Victorian poet Eliza Cook in 1840 in response to the emigration wave that saw many Irish people leaving their homeland during and after the Great Famine. It became a favorite among music hall performers.

James Gaspard Maeder was a musician, composer, and director in the Irish American community in Boston. He was married to the singer and actress Clara Fisher, and wrote much of the music for the various stage productions she was involved in. He found the words to “Teddy O’Neill” in a book of Eliza Cook’s poetry, and decided to write music for it to better suit his wife’s vocal range for one of her upcoming productions. His composition quickly became the preferred melody for the song both in the U.S., and also back in Ireland where it had originated. It has since become a standard among Irish folk musicians, and has been performed and recorded by such luminaries as Mary Black, Delores Keane, De Danann, Karie Oberg, Maura O’Connell, and the Chieftans.

Here’s a link to a YouTube video of the song being performed by Delores Keane with De Danann:

Enjoy, and wishing you all a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

In music and friendship,

—Tull

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