Andy Irvine: The Plains of Kildare [Song]

www.andyirvine....
Andy Irvine with a version of the Skewball ballad recorded at the Embankment Cabaret Rooms in Tallaght, Dublin, in September 1976. Skewball was a horse owned by Francis, the 2nd Earl of Godolphin, and was foaled in 1741. One of his most famous victories took place in County Kildare in Ireland, though once the ballad made it across the Atlantic, several versions place his famous victory as far afield as Californa, Texas and Kentucky.
Andy Irvine and Paul Brady released an album on the Mulligan label in 1976, from which this version of the song is taken. Here Andy Irvine is joined by Paul Brady on guitar and Dónal Lunny on bouzouki.

[@RN1805]

Let's not forget the excellent Steeleye Span treatment of this on Ten Man Mop. In the early seventies I recall seeing Martin Carthy sing it on several occasions with some great guitar work underpinning his unique voice

[@BanditLom]

We need a horse expert on this, but just to second Tom's point--a skewbald horse is a pinto. I guess that the reason they put their money on the grey mare, is because a skewbald-colored horse would have been considered a little weird, compared to a gray or a bay. He probably went down in song history as Skewball or Stewball because what people most remembered about him was his color. And notice that the gray mare is called Miss Griselda, also a reference to her color, rather than a proper name.

[@Bathulie88]

Pasha is right, horse's name really is Skewball. It's also sung in few more irish songs, mainly named Skewball :)

[@michaeldineen8324]

Excellent work . Andy Irvine's version of this song' is the only one I know. Does anyone know, where the song came from.?

[@mrbodhranhead]

I'm sure the original is probably skewball, with stewball being a corruption. Anyway, skewbald refers to a horse's coloration - what in the States would be called a paint or a pinto.

[@bucklilli9832]

Joan Baez sang a song called "Stewball."

[@nickyreynolds3326]

+Buck Lilli So did Leadbelly, but the string arrangement in this version is so incredible, no?

[@Serfuzz]

Thanks for uploading ... I'm reasonably sure though it's S-t-ewball.