Tonight’s song is Irish, and it sounds like an old folk song, but it was written in 1979. It tells a story from the Great Famine of the 1840s, when the potatoes failed and a million people died.
Learn from Songs · Specials: Ireland · B1
The Fields of Athenry
The Irish ballad of the Great Famine, sung by Paddy Reilly: the past simple and past continuous in a story, the passive (he was sent to Botany Bay), could / couldn’t, and the history behind the song, with Philo, Sophia, Marcos and Demetria.
SOPHIA
PHILO
A million people.
SOPHIA
A young man stole corn so that his family could eat. For that, he was sent to a prison colony on the other side of the world. His wife sings to him from beside the prison wall.
DEMETRIA
That’s terrible.
Before you listen: the song
Dublin, 1979
The Great Famine (1845–1852) began when a disease destroyed the potato crop, which most poor Irish families depended on. About a million people died, and another million emigrated. Many people at the time and since have blamed the government in London for doing too little; the official Charles Trevelyan was in charge of relief.
Pete St. John, a Dublin songwriter, wrote “The Fields of Athenry” in 1979. In 1983 the singer Paddy Reilly recorded it, and his version stayed in the Irish charts for over seventy weeks. Today it is sung by Irish sports fans all over the world.
In the song, a young man called Michael stole corn for his starving children. He was caught and sent to Botany Bay, in Australia. His wife Mary stood by the prison wall as the ship was waiting in the bay, remembering how they used to watch the birds fly free over the fields.
Hunger is not a crime.
Listen: the story
PHILO
Listen once. What did Michael steal, and why? Where was he sent? Where is Mary?
SOPHIA
Listen to the chorus. Why do you think sports fans sing it? Then answer Section A.
🌾 Listen to the song: “The Fields of Athenry” (Pete St. John, 1979), sung by Paddy Reilly.Find the recording →
📜 Read the words while you listen: “The Fields of Athenry”, Paddy Reilly.Read the lyrics →
Past simple and past continuous
MARCOS
The ship was waiting in the bay. Mary was standing by the wall when she heard his voice.
SOPHIA
past continuous for the scene and background; past simple for the events. While the ship was waiting, they said goodbye.
The passive
DEMETRIA
He was caught. He was sent to Botany Bay. A million people were forced to emigrate.
SOPHIA
was / were + past participle when the action matters more than who did it, or we don’t want to name them: He was arrested (by the soldiers). Common in history and news.
Could and couldn’t
PHILO
They couldn’t feed their children. He stole so that they could eat. The birds could fly free.
SOPHIA
could / couldn’t = past ability or possibility. so that + could = purpose in the past: He worked at night so that he could buy bread.
Sophia’s comparison: famine in Egypt
PHILO
When famine came to Canaan, Jacob’s sons went down to Egypt to buy grain, because Joseph had stored it in the good years. A wise ruler feeds his people in the bad years.
SOPHIA
And here in Alexandria, when the Nile fails, the grain ships to Rome still sail. People in the city say: how can grain leave a hungry country? It is an old question.
Sophia’s summary
| Words and forms | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| past continuous / past simple | scene / events | The ship was waiting when he arrived. |
| was / were + past participle | the passive | He was sent to Botany Bay. |
| could / couldn’t | past ability | They couldn’t feed their children. |
| so that + could | purpose in the past | He stole so that they could eat. |
| used to | old habits | They used to watch the birds. |
Practice
Listen to the song for Section A, then do the rest. Press “Check my answers” at the end. You can try again as many times as you like.
A · Listen: the song
Listen to the song and choose the best answer.
1. What did Michael steal?
2. Why did he steal it?
3. Where was he sent?
4. Where is Mary in the song?
5. When was the song written?
6. Who sings it today all over the world?
B · Grammar and vocabulary
Write the missing word or words.
7. The ship was in the bay. (wait)
8. He was to Botany Bay. (send)
9. He was by the soldiers. (catch)
10. They feed their children. (not able)
11. He stole corn so his children could eat.
12. They used to the birds over the fields. (watch)
C · Right or wrong?
Is the sentence correct English?
13. “He was send to Australia.”
14. “While the ship was waiting, they said goodbye.”
15. “They can’t feed their children in 1847.”
16. “A million people were forced to emigrate.”
Talk and write
Discussion and writing
Tell the story. In pairs, retell Michael and Mary’s story as a news report from 1847. Use the passive and the past continuous.
Discuss. 1. Was Michael a criminal? 2. Why do sports fans sing a sad song about the Famine? 3. What should governments do in a famine?
Write (120–150 words). A letter from Botany Bay. Write Michael’s letter to Mary. Use the past simple, past continuous, the passive and could / couldn’t.
Now play the gamebook: a hungry man, a sack of grain, and a judge.Play the gamebook →