14 November 1966
I was intrigued to see that Johnny McEvoy, the avuncular folk balladeer who popped up on every Irish light entertainment show of the ’80s, originally released his version of ‘Muirsheen Durkin’ under the nom de folk of The Rambler (a nod to his previous double act The Ramblers Two) with its sleeve featuring a sombre monochrome profile shot of “John McEvoy” that makes him look like one of The Velvet Underground. Alas, it isn’t some gritty feedback-drenched avant garde screech through the Irish folk catalogue, but the same recording as the one under his own name.
The fun stops there. Its Dylan-esque harmonica-and-guitar intro undercut by Johnny’s jaunty lilting is appropriate. ‘Muirsheen Durkin’ isn’t modern-day Ewan MacColl politically-aware folk music about agrarian labourers under the yoke of a big farmer, but twee, whimsical stage-culchie blarney about digging “praties” and gold. Since its view of “Californey” still belongs to the gold rush era of the 19th century, this is evidently a ’60s hit single about emigration for that cohort of Irish people who didn’t have the ambition or anger to emigrate, nor the wit and nerve to tackle the real social issues behind Ireland’s mass exodus of young people, but who liked big-talking banter about “Amerikay”. Let’s sing jolly folk ditties to ourselves about how Irish emigrants are lured by digging lumps of gold; another Irish solution to an Irish problem. The only US riches this record could seriously aspire to are tips from American tourists at some Irish cabaret, tucking a condescending dollar into the McEvoy G-string as he tugs the forelock for their amusement.
Irish Number Ones 
