The Elm Wood

Briege Murphy really does have a gift with words. She is an acclaimed poet, particularly of humorous verse. But like many artists with a humorous take on life, Murphy also has a deep compassion for lonely souls and sad situations, heightened by growing up during the height of the troubles under the watchful eyes of army helicopters and surveillance towers in Northern Ireland.

‘The Ring of Gullion’, one of the lovely songs on The Elm Wood, Murphy’s third album, is specifically about this theme; at a characteristically gentle pace, Murphy’s rich voice carries us across her beautiful but war-torn native landscape.

Murphy’s songs are well-accompanied here by guitars, strings, mandolin, fiddle, whistle, piano and accordion. She relates ancestral stories of the trials and tribulations of country people’s lives: enforced emigration, hireling workers, landlord oppression, innocents being sent to the colonies. Yet there are powerful contemporary concerns too; some of her work is reminiscent of ’60s protest songs (Bob Dylan is an obvious influence).

In ‘Aoife’s Worries’, written in the wake of September 11, Murphy is inspired when her 14-year-old daughter realises the possibility that the nuclear plant of Sellafield might become a terrorist target.

The Elm Wood is an excellent folk album, full of powerful songs that get better the more you get to know them.