English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has once again received 'the Irish-language treatment,' this time being covered by popular music group Seo Linn. With Sheeran’s first two releases from his third album storming the charts, the Irish group, which performed in New York last April as part of the Easter Rising commemorations, took it upon themselves to pay tribute to the 25-year-old’s Irish roots with this spectacular version of “Castle on the Hill.”
Ireland was ecstatic earlier this year to discover that not only will two Ed Sheeran songs on his upcoming album involve Irish traditional music, but that Irish dancers will be given the opportunity to audition for one of the singing superstar’s new videos.
Sheeran previously recorded an Irish-language version of his hit “Thinking Out Loud” and has an Irish tattoo reading, “nuair is gá dom fháil bhaile, is tú mo réalt eolais” (“when I need to get home, you’re my guiding light”) so we’re sure he’ll be impressed by Seo Linn’s cover.
It also gives the rest of us something great to listen to while we wait expectantly for the upcoming “Galway Girl,” which the singer has promised will be “the song” for the Irish.
“I’ve actually got a song on the new album which I think is really gonna explode in Ireland,” the pop star told the Eoghan McDermott show on RTÉ’s 2fm earlier this year.
"It would be something to do with the county of Galway. I’ve got a trad band called Beoga, they’re actually from Belfast. It’s a fiddle, a pipe, a bodhrán and piano and we really jam.
“It’s gonna be really good but I think I will never be able to play another song in Ireland again because that one will just be the song.”
While Sheeran was born in Suffolk, England, his paternal grandparents hail from Ireland and he has spent a lot of time in the country with his family, even staying with his grandmother Anne in Wexford before his sold-out shows in Croke Park, Dublin, in July 2015.
As for Seo Linn, they are currently preparing to release their own album, the first we can expect from the band who had their beginnings alongside the talented students in Coláiste Lurgan.
If you fancy a sing-along you can find the Irish lyrics to Castle on the Hill below the video.
Verse 1:
Bhí mé fós an-óg 's bhris mo lámh
Bhí mé ríocht uaidh mo dheatháir ar an trá
‘s bhlas mé an cumhrán deas ón bhféar cnoic air a raibh mé
Mé saonta ansin,
Tabhair ar ais mé ‘nois
Pre-chorus:
Chuig
An gcéad leainín a thóg mo chroí
‘ Raibh cairde caillte ‘s déanta aríst
Is fada liom an garraí mór (ar) rith mé ann
le fáilte ‘n tsáile
‘s beidh mé thiar ag baile
Chorus:
‘S in aghaidh an tsléibh’,
Ag tiomáint ar 90, dhul síos bóthar séimh,
Ag canadh le Conamara,
‘S b’fhearr liom an tslí ‘ bhíonn tú lem' thaobh, ‘do luí
Ar imeacht na gréine
Thairis an caisleán ar an droim
Verse 2:
Cúig bliana déag ‘s ca
Cúig bliana déag ‘s caitheamh cloch ar’n teachín tuíRíocht ar
Ríocht ar an tsráíd tríd
Ríocht ar an tsráíd tríd na siopaí ‘s goil i bhfolach ón dlíB’í mo chéad phóg í an
B’í mo chéad phóg í an Aoine sin,
Ní heol dom an bhfuil cailín linn
Bhí mé saonta ansin,
Tabhair ar ais mé anois
Pre-chorus 2:
don am
Raibh obair lách, gan mórán ann
Cheannódh muid ól, le tabhairt ar fán
Níl mé ‘s mo chairde théis bheith tinn le tamall
Oh mé a’ súil nuair
a bheidh mé thiar ag baile
Chorus
Bridge Section:
Cairde liom ag múineadh leo
Ceann eile a’ díoladh bróg
Ceann le beirt mhac ‘s é faoi stró
Ceann tóghta leis an ól
Ceann ag tiontú ar an dara bean
Ceann bhfuil gruaim ‘tá fós ar lean ach
Is iad mo chlann iad
‘s beidh mé thiar ag baile
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