Casadh an tSúgáin - LYRICS + Translation - The Gloaming

“Casadh an tSúgáin“ (the twisting of the rope) is a traditional Irish love song, sung in the sean-nós style and made popular by the 2015 film “Brooklyn“ (starring Saoirse Ronan) under the name of “Frankie’s song“ (played by Iarla Ó Lionáird himself). It is a traditional harp tune that was collected from Mayo harpist Rose Mooney in 1792 but the tune may be much older than that. The story behind the song is of a man who is in love with a young woman who lives with her mother. He visits the girl but the mother wants to get rid of him so she makes him twist a straw rope. As he does this he has to walk backwards as the rope gets longer. Eventually he backs out of the house, at which point the mother cuts the rope and slams the door closed. Brooklyn scene: Performed by Iarla Ó Lionáird with The Gloaming Album: “2“ (2016)