This is a lovely clip from Tom and Caroline playing two Jigs: Munster Buttermilk and Port Mhoss Mhartin (aka Contentment is wealth).
“Fergie McCormack,” sung by Daoirí Farrell and written by Marcus Turner, is a darkly comic folk ballad that twists heroism into absurdity. The song tells of a fire in a tall building where a woman, trapped with her baby, refuses to jump. Amid the panic, Fergie McCormack—a rugby player—steps forward and persuades her to throw him the child. He catches the baby safely, to the crowd’s delight, but in a shocking and humorous turn, his sporting instincts take over: he performs “a swift up-and-under” and kicks the baby “forty metres to touch.”
The song’s humour lies in this abrupt shift from tragedy to farce. Farrell delivers it with the lively rhythm of a traditional Irish ballad, making the macabre twist even more striking. Beneath the comedy, the story satirizes how societies glorify heroes and blur the lines between courage, reflex, and performance. Fergie’s act, both brave and ridiculous, exposes the tension between genuine heroism and the instinct for spectacle. Like much of the folk tradition, the tale blends myth, morality, and irony—reminding listeners that even the most heroic legends can end in folly, and that laughter often lurks where solemn praise is expected.
Here's a very old recording of Daori made in Germany by a friend of mine:
{t:Fergie McCormack}
{st:Daoiri Farrell}
Capo 3
Oh [D]Fergie McCormack was walking one [G]day
When he [D]noticed a building on [G]fire
And the [D]screams of a lady could plainly be [G]heard
As the [D]building it smoldered even [A]higher
Oh the [G]trembling [D]lady was [G]clutching a [D]baby
And the [D]building was ten stories [G]high
It could [D]plainly be seen that both she and her [G]baby
Were [D]certainly [A]doomed for to [D]die
Well the [D]firemen were there with their ropes and big [G]ladders
And they were [D]holding a big trampo[G]line
They were [D]trying to entice this young lady to [G]jump
But [D]indeed she wasn't very [A]keen
For her [G]baby was too [D]small to [G]survive such a [D]fall
And [D]she then refused to let [G]go
Oh, well [D]what could they do? They were all in a [G]stew
As they [D]helplessly [A]gazed from be[D]low
Well [D]along came a hero, bold Fergie Mc[G]Cormack
Says he, “[D]Throw your baby to [G]me!”
"[D]Indeed I will catch it, and from death I will [G]snatch it"
"And [D]safe in me arms he will [A]be”
Oh his [G]masculine [D]arms and the [G]big fullback's [D]charms
Laid [D]down all this young lady's [G]fears
As she [D]cried, “Bless you Fergie!”, she tossed her baby [G]over
The [D]side as her [A]eyes filled with [D]tears
Well the [D]rest of the story can long be [G]remembered
In [D]history throughout all the [G]land
As that [D]baby came down and the crowd gathered [G]round
Oh it [D]landed safely in Fergie's [A]arms
“Oh, he's [G]rescued the [D]child!” said the [G]crowd going [D]wild
But the [D]excitement was clearly too [G]much
As they [D]all gazed in wonder, with a swift up-and-[G]under
He [D]kicked forty [A]meters to [D]touch
“Sonny’s Dream” is a beloved folk song written in 1976 by Newfoundland songwriter Ron Hynes, inspired by his uncle, Sonny O’Neill. Though often mistaken for a traditional ballad due to its timeless feel, the song is a modern classic that has been widely embraced in the folk world.
The story centers on Sonny, a young man tied to a lonely rural life with his mother. His father is away at sea, and Sonny stays home to help on the farm. While he dreams of a wider world beyond the fields and ocean, he remains grounded by a sense of duty and the emotional weight of his mother’s loneliness. The lyrics explore this quiet tension—between responsibility and yearning, family and freedom.
Originally recorded by Hynes’ band, The Wonderful Grand Band, “Sonny’s Dream” has since been covered by artists like Christy Moore, Mary Black, Emmylou Harris, and others. Daoirí Farrell’s recent version, featured on his album The Wedding Above in Glencree, offers a heartfelt, stripped-back rendition that highlights the song’s emotional core. Through Farrell’s voice, the story of Sonny becomes not just a personal tale, but a universal one—about love, sacrifice, and the dreams we leave behind.
(written with ChatGPT)
{t:Sonny's Dream}
{st:Daoiri Farrell - Ron Hynes}
Capo 5
(Intro)
[Am] [G/B] [C]
[Am] [G/B] [C]
Sonny [G]lives on the farm [C/G]in a [G]wide open space [C]
[G]Take off your sneakers [G/B]and [C]stay out the [G/B]race
And [D]lay down your head [C]by that [D]sweet river bed
[G/B]Sonny al[C]ways remembers the words Mama [G]sai[D]d
{soc}
Sonny [G]don't go away, [C]I'm [G]here all alone [C]
Your [G]daddy's a sailor [G/B]and he [C]never comes [G/B]home
[C]And [D]nights are so long and silence goes on
[G/B]I'm [C]feeling so tired and not all [G/B]that [G]stro[D]ng
{eoc}
Oh, [G]Sonny works the farm though he's barely a man
And there ain't that much to do, but he [C]does what he [G]can
And he [D]watches the sea from his room on the stairs
And the [C]waves keep on rollin', they've done that for [G]years
Well, it's one [G]hundred miles to town, Sonny's never been there
so he goes to the highway and he [C]stands and he [G]stares
And the [D]mail comes at four but the mailman is old
Oh, but [C]still he dreams his dreams full of silver and [G]gold [D]
{soc}
Sonny [G]don't go away, I'm here all alone
Your daddy's a sailor and he [C]never comes h[G]ome
And [D]nights are so long and silence goes on
And I'm [C]feeling so tired and not all that [G]strong [D]
{eoc}
Sonny's [G]dreams can't be real, they're just stories he's read
Stars in his eyes, oh, and [C]dreams in his [G]head
And he's [D]hungry inside for the wide world outside
I [C]know I can't hold him, I've tried and I've [G]tried and I've [Am]tried [G] [C]
(Outro)
Oh, I've [Am]tried [G] [C]
And I've [Am]tried [G] [C]
The Little Drummer is a song from Daoiri's first album "The First Turn"
Here's a solo version
And a fantastic live version with Keeva feat. Alan Doherty, Tola Custy and Gerry Paul
{t:The Little Drummer}
{st:Daoiri Farrell}
#Studio Version
O[Dm]ne fine summer's morning, both gallant and gay,
[Dm]Twenty-four ladies went [C]out on the quay,
And a [Bb]regiment of soldiers did [Am]soon pass them [C]by,
[Bb]A drummer and [C]one of them [Am]soon caught his [Dm]eye.
He [Dm]went to his comrades and [Am]to them did [Dm]say,
"Tw[Dm]enty-four ladies I [C]saw yesterday,
And [Dm]one of those ladies she [C]has me heart won,
And [Bb]if she den[C]ies me then s[Am]urely I'm [G]done." [F][G][Am]
"Go [Dm]off to this woman and [Am]tell her your [Dm]blight
[Dm]Tell her she's wounded your [Am]poor heart inside.
Go and [Bb]tell her she's wounded your [C]poor heart, full sore,
And [Bb]if she de[C]nies you what [Am]can you do [Dm]more?"
So [Dm]early next morning this [Am]young man arose,[Dm]
And he [Dm]dressed himself up in a fine[Am] suit of clothes,
With a [Bb]watch in his pocket and a [Am]cane in his hand,
He sal[Bb]uted those [C]ladies as he [Am]walked down the [G]strand. [F][G][Am]
Well he [Dm]walked up to her and he says [Am]"Pardon [Dm]me,
[Dm]Pardon me lady for [C]making so free,
Me fi[Bb]ne honored lady, you [Am]have me heart won,
And [Bb]if you deny [C]me I'm [Am]surely un[Dm]done."
"Go [Dm]off little drummer, now [Am]what do you [Dm]mean?
For I[Dm]'m the lord's daughter of [Am]Ballycasteen.
[Bb]I'm the lord's daughter of [Am]honour, you see,
Go[Bb] little [C]drummer, you're [Am]making too [G]free." [F][G][Am]
So he [Dm]put on his hat and he [Am]bade her fare[Dm]well
Saying "[Dm]I'll send my soul down to [Am]heaven or hell.
For [Dm]with this long pistol that [C]hangs by my side,
[Bb]I'll put an [C]end to my [Am]own dreary [G]life."
[Dm]"Come back little drummer, now [Am]what do you [Dm]mean,
[Dm]For I do not want to be [Am]guilty of sin,
[Dm]To be guilty of innocent [Am]blood for to spill.
Come [Bb]back little [C]drummer, I'm [Am]here at your [Bb]will."[C][Bb][A5]
"We'[Bb]ll hire a [C]car and to [Am]Bansheer we'll [Dm]go.
[Dm]There we'll be married in s[Am]pite of our foes.
But [Bb]what can they say when it's o[Am]ver and done,
But [Bb]I fell in [C]love with the [Am]roll of your drum?[Dm]"
If you copy these lyrics and import them into an lyrics and chords app like Songbook you can see the chords above the lyrics, transpose etc. In the Songbook app you can define Bouzouki as instrument and it has chords implemented so you can see how to play them. You even can define your own chords, which is really handy sometimes. The app is available for most platforms.
Here I have collected some videos how this app works.
Here's a tutorial video by Brent Matusik where he explains how to play it:
The Little Drummer is a traditional folk song that has been performed by artists like Daoirí Farrell, Christy Moore (with Planxty), and other folk groups including Reel More, Fialla, and Inish. The song tells a romantic narrative: a young drummer courts a noblewoman, is initially rejected due to class, threatens to take his own life, and eventually wins her love.
The song has been catalogued in the Roud Folk Song Index as Roud 2749, confirming its place in the oral folk tradition. One early recording comes from Martin Gorman, a singer from County Sligo, recorded in London in 1966. His version appears in The Voice of the People series, a respected anthology of traditional British and Irish folk song.
While no definitive 19th-century broadside version has been identified yet, the song’s presence in field recordings and its appearance in multiple regional repertoires suggest that it circulated widely in oral tradition. Its classification as “Trad. / Arr.” in recordings further supports its traditional roots.
“The Little Drummer” remains a staple in Irish folk circles, offering a blend of romance, class conflict, and timeless melody that continues to resonate with modern audiences.
