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Irish Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Story of a Song review: Delve into the ballad Grace falls short of filling us in on its afterlife
Rod moves in mysterious ways – and what an impact he ( Rod Stewart , that is) has had on Grace, the maudlin 1916 Rising ballad which has undergone a remarkable resurgence since the rasping rocker started belting it out at his concerts. Stewart has talked a great deal about how Grace has yanked at his heartstrings – on the Late Late Show several years ago, he spent practically the entire interview wiping away tears. But there is more to the tune than a sobbing classic rocker, and the tale of Grace and its rebirth receives a more origin-focused, less Rod-centric retelling in the first episode of the latest season of Aistear an Amhráin ( RTÉ One, 7pm, Tuesday). The informative documentary series traces the evolution of well-loved songs. A run time of just 30 minutes leaves little space for mucking about and Sinéad Ní Churnáin cracks on from the outset by rewinding to 1916 and the love affair between Grace Gifford and Joseph Mary Plunkett, as recounted in the lyrics of Grace. They were the doomed couple who tied the knot hours before Plunkett was marched before a British firing squad for his part in the Easter Rising. READ MORE Plunkett was executed at Kilmainham Gaol, where singer Aoife Scott performs several lines from the song (a favourite of Olympic boxer Kellie Harrington ). 'There is a very particular atmosphere here,' Scott says. 'I felt these vibrations in the walls. It was very strange. That's why so many people visit Kilmainham Gaol.' Joseph Mary Plunkett was a signatory of the Proclamation Grace is often assumed to have dated from the early 20th century, but, as Ní Churnáin reveals, it was written in the 1980s, a boom-time for dewy-eyed ballads bashed out by hairy Irish folk singers. In this case, the hairy folk singer was Jim McCann, who received the tune, with thanks, from Frank and Seán O'Meara, songwriting siblings from Mullingar, Co Westmeath. 'Jim McCann was over the moon,' says Frank, who wrote the melody and who plays back a grainy early recording that is far jauntier than the version Stewart has belted out across the world for several years. The idea for writing about Gifford and Plunkett came to Seán after he was asked to rustle up a hit to order. Though aware of Plunkett, he knew little of Gifford until delving into her story. 'I may not have known before I did the research what Grace's name was,' he says. As a sort of idiot's guide to Stewart's favourite Irish weepy, Aistear an Amhráin ticks the boxes. Still, it would have been useful to hear more about the track's afterlife. For instance, how is it that former senator Donie Cassidy reportedly came to hold the copyright to Grace? And how much is it worth? Such details would have helped the viewer better appreciate the impact of Grace and reveal something we didn't already know (most of the audience are surely familiar with the story of Gifford). How, for that matter, did Stewart come upon it? You wanted to dive deeper into the story of Grace and its incredible recent renaissance, but, for all its good work, Aistear an Amhráin didn't go far enough in filling in the blanks.
Irish Daily Star
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Star
Sister of executed revolutionary tells story behind Ireland's greatest love song in resurfaced clip
A clip from an interview with the sister of Irish revolutionary and poet Joseph Mary Plunkett has resurfaced, revealing the true meaning of Ireland's most treasured love song. Fiona Plunkett spoke about her brother, Joseph Plunkett , and his wife, Grace Gifford, whose love story inspired the song Grace. Written by Jim McCann, a former member of the Dubliners , the song tells the tale of the young revolutionary who married his lover just hours before he was set to be executed by British soldiers. Plunkett was arrested and sent to Kilmainham Gaol after the 1916 Rising. The heartbreaking song has become one of Ireland's most famous of all time, and in an interview in 1966, Fiona shared details of her brother's tragic death. Read More Related Articles Donald Trump branded 'disgusting' as he honors Pope Francis in 'baffling' way Read More Related Articles Russia invasion fears prompt evacuation plan in European city home to 540,000 'I don't like the idea of him being called Joseph Mary Plunkett,' Fiona said. 'He was never called that in his lifetime. By anybody. That started immediately after his death. And people to this day, speaking to me about him, call him Joseph Mary Plunkett with great formality…' 'Forgetting that he was my brother, and I didn't call him Joseph Mary Plunkett. Nobody called him that.' The interviewer asked Fiona about her brother's marriage to Grace Gifford, just hours before his execution , saying, 'You saw Grace Gifford shortly after this,' to which Fiona said that she had. 'Did she speak about this event?' 'Of course she did,' Fiona said, smiling. 'You see, her mother might have thrown her out. So that was a very good reason to get married then. And she had become a catholic not so long before, and I was her godmother.' 'Her mother was very keenly against that,' Fiona continued, referencing the fact that Grace was raised as a Protestant. 'Very keenly anti-catholic and a very strong character. That was a good reason for us to have the right to look after her.' Fiona continued that the wedding between her brother and Grace was set to take place on Easter Sunday, about two weeks before Joseph was executed. The interviewer asked, 'Did Grace think that Joe would not be shot?' 'Oh, I think she was quite certain he would be shot,' Fiona said. 'Nobody had any hope of anything else." 'But when she came in to tell us about the (plan to get married)… The next morning, the news had been put in the paper that he would get three years penal servitude, and she said, 'I can still hope.' And we said, 'Oh, Grace, don't hope. There's nothing to hope for.'' Joseph was executed by firing squad on May 4, 1916. He was one of 13 executed in the space of a week in Kilmainham Gaol. For the latest local news and features on Irish America, visit our homepage here .
