the ballad of the o'donnell house

If you click on the song I just added to "MY PAGE", you will hear me singing a song I wrote in 2004 entitled "THE BALLAD OF THE O'DONNELL HOUSE". It was written about a house - demolished a year ago this November - that was the inspiration for my novel, THE PIPES ARE CALLING.

The song tells the story of a massacre that happened in the early hours of the morning on December 10, 1875 in a little coal patch called Wiggans near Mahanoy City, Schuylkill County, in the heart of anthracite coal country. Two young Irish - a brother, Charles, and his sister, Ellen - of the O'Donnell clan were murdered. Another brother, James aka "Friday", fled with Ellen's husband's brother, Jack McAllister. Her husband, Charles, also on the run, eventually came home to care for the couple's young son.

Margaret O'Donnell, the matriarch, was widowed and kept her large family plus several boarders, in the huge home. Another daughter, Mary Anne, was married to the charasmatic union leader, John "Black Jack" Kehoe, and lived in nearby Girardville. Jack, along with other Irish immigrant coal miners who belonged to the Ancient Order of Hibernians, was fighting for labor rights.

Many stories have been told about that fateful night, when Ellen O'Donnell McAllister, 7 months pregnant, heard a noise downstairs and descending the steps to investigate, was shot dead. Her brother, Charlie, was taken out back and shot 15 times in the head and body. The newspaper story that covered the murders claimed that Charlie's was shot so furiously that his body actually caught fire. It was said that up to 40 men terrorized the family and boarders then vanished as they came, the night swallowing them up and closing around them.

Following the bloodbath, there was a feeble attempt by law enforcement authorities to conduct an investigation but no one was ever brought to trial. The murders have gone unsolved to this day. Ellen and her brother Charles are buried in the family plot in old St. Jerome's Cemetary, Tamaqua. Their brother in law Jack Kehoe's grave is not far away - sitting almost directly across the cementary. In nearby Jim Thorpe, at Immaculate Conception Cementary, down along the river, is the final resting place of James Carroll. James was married to Annie, a neice of Margaret O'Donnell. Both James Carroll and Jack Kehoe were hung as part of the Mollie Maguire trials. Both were tavern owners and active in the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

As I researched THE PIPES ARE CALLING, the story that went along with the house took me over. The song emerged. Recently, a colleague of mine and I wrote an original musical entitled "Our Town, Your Home, One Heritage" and my song, among others, was included in the show. This is a track from the CD we produced for the production.

Those of you who know my work will remember I am also a poet. Some of my poems come complete with music. I am always amazed when this happens since short of my tinwhistle, I really can't claim to play any more instruments than that - except for a little bit on the bodhran and a few guitar chords.

And while I can't read or write music, I get by with a little help from my friends.

If you are intrigued by the song, consider reading THE PIPES ARE CALLING ...

Loretta

THE PIPES ARE CALLING

ISBN# 142414826x

http://www.freewebs.com/lorettamurphy