Gordon McLeod: Music

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Quin Abbey is in County Clare. Hester is buried there.

Performed by BEYOND THE PALE, Gordon McLeod: lead vocal, guitar; Dirje Smith: cello, harmony vocals; Christy McLeod: harmony vocal, Betsy Cummings: harmony vocal; John Delaney: whistle

Hester
Words and music by Gordon McLeod, © 2004
beyondthepale@tyler.net 903 592 5925


Hester lies in dreamless sleep, beneath Quin Abbey,
The only child of M. Henry MacDonnell of Castlebar.
She left this life at Ballyline the ninth day of October
Eighteen-forty-eight, twenty-eight years old,
May the Lord have mercy on her soul.

Hester may have been in love, she may have had a lover.
Perhaps she gave her heart to a soldier, lost in the war,
And bore their only daughter here the ninth day of October
Eighteen-forty-eight, twenty eight years old,
May the Lord have mercy on us all.

Bridge:

The daughters of the world lie sleeping in the earth,
What we wouldn’t do to save them.
But who will remember the on who’s lying here?
The Goddess,
The Goddess.

Hester lies in dreamless sleep, beneath Quin Abbey,
The only child of God who needed saving, for everyone.
She left this life at Ballyline, the ninth day of October
Eighteen-forty-eight, twenty-eight years old,
May the Lord have mercy on our souls,
May the Lord have mercy on our souls.

Words and music by Gordon McLeod