Track of the Day: The Mary Wallopers - 'The Holy Ground'

Irish outfit The Mary Wallopers have released a brand new recording today, landing ahead of their biggest UK tour to date in May.

The band will stop at Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Bath and Warrington on the jaunt, also performing at London’s historic O2 Forum Kentish Town.

The forthcoming sure to be riotous) UK gigs will take place alongside three sold out Academy shows in Dublin, Sea Sessions and Electric Picnic festival appearances in 2023.

A typically fast paced, texturally rich trad tune, The Mary Wallopers bring 'The Holy Ground' to life with their usual flair. The song has been performed by the likes of the Dubliners, The Clancy Brothers, The Jolly Rogers, the Poxy Boggards, the Brobdingnagian Bards, Mary Black, Pete Seeger, The Tossers, and Beatnik Turtle and more.

The band’s Charles Hendy says of the song: “The Holy Ground is a song written about a place in Cobh, County Cork where sailors would stop off on long voyages across the Atlantic. Despite the name of the place there were little-to-no churches, instead it was the town's red light district where all sorts of fantasies could be realised."

The Mary Wallopers at Akerk, ESNS 23. Credit: Bart Heemskerk

"And now the storm it is over and we are safe on shore / We will drink a toast to the Holy Ground and the girls that we adore / We will drink strong ale and porter and make the rafters roar / And when our money is all spent we`ll go to sea for more."

The track becomes a pummelling celebration of the joyful abandonment of shore leave, inspired by a pitstop naval location in Cobh. John Loesberg once mused that the song originated in Swansea, Wales ('Old Swansea Town Once More') - but has become equally famous in the Cork hub.

Seven piece band The Mary Wallopers were formed by brothers Charles and Andrew Hendy and their friend Sean McKenna traveling the length and breadth of Ireland singing and collecting songs. Their early live performances exuded a raw energy and their self-titled first album perfectly captured their sound and ethos, one filled with warmth, intimacy, chaos and enough sparks ready to light any fire.

They're currently hard at work on a new full-length project, due to land later in 2023.

Following a UK tour at the end of 2022 that culminated in a sold out show at the Electric Ballroom in Camden, The Mary Wallopers play a series of previously announced UK dates this May. The outfit will also festivals in the UK such as Latitude, Truck, Kendal Calling, Beautiful Days and End of the Road as well as Irish shows at The Academy, Dublin, Sea Sessions, Donegal and Electric Picnic, Stradbally.

Revisit their recent Hot Press interview here.

Listen to ‘The Holy Ground’ below.