“Báidín Fheilimí”

Liner notes

This is another song which is taught to all irish school children at a young age. It tells the story of Feilimí Cam Ó Baoill, a chieftain of the Rosses in the 17th century. He had to take to the Islands off Donegal to escape his archenemy Maolmhuire an Bhata Bhuí Mac Suibhne. Tory Island was more inaccessible and seemed safer than Gola, but his little boat was wrecked there. For me, the song is one of defiance and bravery in spite of terrible odds. It is a song of encouragement that we should be true to ourselves even if being true mean 'defeat.' A song of the beauty of freedom. And a song of the power of the sea as a metaphor for the unconscious mind. It shows that we can never escape our soul.

Sinéad O'Connor (Source: Sean-Nós Nua)