Little Róisín
© By Barry Kerr
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The song is a direct response to the sectarian murder of innocent civilians in the Lurgan / Craigavon area in the 1990s. It is written through the eyes of a little girl who lost two brothers. It is Kerr’s response to tensions at that time and helped express my wishes for a more peaceful and just society.
The song in the 1990s within the backdrop of tensions surrounding loyalist parades, in paticular in Garvaghy road / Drumcree, a few years before the Good Friday Agreement was signed.
Little Róisín
Go to sleep little Róisín
Don’t you cry anymore
Dor the time it is coming
The lark in freedom she will soar
You must not try to dwell too much
Let me take your hand and I will lead you to a far off place
Where you might understand
From the mist covered mountains
to the depths of the valleys
from the cottages down the lane
to the streets in the cities
our voice it is heard
where pain is seen, so go to sleep little Róisín and dream
Dream of being free
Questions might be asked, though never answered
How long must we wait for the tide to turn
So many loved ones lost, yet so much left to gain
Go to sleep little Róisín feel no pain
and dream of being free.
Written and Arranged by Barry Kerr