From 1845 to 1852, Ireland suffered through a period of starvation and disease, resulting in a mass exodus. The Great Famine caused Ireland's population to drop by around 25%, due to potato blight which ravaged the country. Since almost a third of the country's population depended on the potato for survival, the destruction of crops, compounded by political and socio-economic factors at the time, saw one of the darkest periods in Ireland's history. Starved and desperate, people turned to various methods of acquiring food. The government took a hard line with thieves, exiling many hungry souls to Australia for their crimes.

"Fields of Athenry" is an Irish folk ballad, telling the story of a man named Michael in the town of Athenry, County Galway, Ireland. The story, although fictional, was true for many during the era: Michael stole food to feed his family and was sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay for the crime. This ballad has become popular amongst Irish sports supporters, and put the little town of Athenry on the map.

Twenty-five kilometers east of Galway city in the west of Ireland, Athenry is home to some 3,000 people. Steeped in medieval history, Athenry was once the meeting point for three kingdoms, a fact from which it takes its Irish name Áth na Ríogh meaning ford of kings. Today, Athenry's main attraction is the Meyler de Bermingham castle, built c. 1240, and that's about it.

Dropkick Murphys, an Irish-American band hailing from Massachusetts, released "Fields of Athenry" on their fourth studio album Blackout in 2003. On January 28, 2005, US Marine Sergeant Andrew K. Farrar Jr. was killed in the line of duty during Operation: Iraqi Freedom. Farrar, a long time fan of the Murphys, had requested that, should he die on tour, "Fields of Athenry" should be played at his funeral. Honoring this request, Dropkick Murphys released a two-song CD single for Farrar's family. The single featured an original ballad version of "The Fields of Athenry" recorded specifically for the funeral. The CD single was placed in Farrar's casket and featured the track "Last Letter Home," a song written about Farrar and later released on Dropkick Murphys 2005 album The Warrior's Code. Dropkick Murphys released the Farrar ballad version of "Fields of Athenry" as a $10 single. All of the proceeds from sales of the single went into the Sgt. Andrew Farrar Memorial Fund.

Although considered more mature, polished and tighter than their previous offerings, Blackout did not fare well on the charts, peaking at only 83 on the Billboard 200. It saw better success on the Top Independent Albums chart, peaking in third position while only one song, "Walk Away," achieved any kind of radio success. It wasn't until Martin Scorsese used "I'm Shipping up to Boston" by the Murphys in his 2006 film The Departed that the band really began enjoying commercial success, joining the likes of Aerosmith and Bruce Springsteen on tour.

"I'm Shipping Up to Boston" was originally intended for the "Fields of Athenry" single but was re-recorded and released on The Warrior's Code. In a way, "Fields of Athenry" and all the tragedy the song embodies, helped pave the way for the band's success.

Suzanne van Rooyen
December 8, 2014

Suzanne is a tattooed storyteller from South Africa. Although she has a Master's degree in music, Suzanne prefers conjuring strange worlds and creating quirky characters. Her published novels include Dragon's Teeth, Obscura Burning, and The Other Me.

Comments: 1

• Olaf Radek from Kiel; Germanya great song and a great story; I love it

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