“Before writing the song, I imagined what it would have been like to be a fly on the wall at the famous meeting of Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh and singer Luke Kelly at the Bailey Pub in Dublin,” says band leader Patrick Mulloy in a statement about the tune. “This is where he and the Dubliners frontman came together to create ‘Raglan Road,’ one of Ireland’s most beloved ballads. It has since been performed by countless artists including Van Morrison with the Chieftains, Mark Knopfler, Ed Sheeran and Sinead O’Connor among others.”
Mulloy wonders what other “moonlit strolls” took place on that Victorian and Edwardian mansion lined street?
“Possibly due to the nature of the history of Lord Raglan himself, the namesake of this famous street from centuries before, my mind took a darker turn and immediately escaped to an era where romance was created, challenged, and many times lost during wartime,” he says. “An all-too-familiar feeling for many, especially in the 1940s, which serves as the setting for this song. ‘Raglan Love’ is a tale of unrequited love, heartache and war. [It’s] a story of everlasting commitment and hope for the future, in this world or the next.”
To hear the tune and other material from the band, visit Marys Lane’s Spotify page.
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This article appears in Feb 24 – Mar 9, 2021.
