“The Rose of Tralee” was written by William Pembroke Mulchinock, a wealthy merchant’s son from Tralee, and was first published around 1846. It’s said to be based on a true love story between Mulchinock and Mary O’Connor, a poor servant girl who worked in his family’s household.
According to local legend, Mulchinock fell in love with Mary, who was known for her beauty, and nicknamed her “The Rose of Tralee.” Their romance faced opposition from his family due to their different social standings. Political troubles forced Mulchinock to flee Ireland for a time, and when he returned years later, he discovered that Mary had died of tuberculosis. Heartbroken, he wrote the song as a tribute to her memory.
The melody was composed by Charles William Glover, an English composer, and the song gained popularity through performances at music halls and through published sheet music.
In 1959, it inspired the creation of the Rose of Tralee International Festival, which has become one of Ireland’s largest and most famous cultural festivals. Each year, young women of Irish descent from around the world compete to be crowned “The Rose of Tralee,” celebrating Irish culture and heritage.
The ballad has been recorded by numerous artists over the decades and remains a beloved part of traditional Irish music.
Lyrics
The pale moon was rising above the green mountains,
The sun was declining beneath the blue sea;
When I strayed with my love to the pure crystal fountain,
That stands in the beautiful Vale of Tralee.
Chorus
She was lovely and fair as the rose of the summer,
Yet ’twas not her beauty alone that won me;
Oh no, ’twas the truth in her eyes ever dawning,
That made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee.
The cool shades of evening their mantle were spreading,
And Mary all smiling was listening to me;
The moon through the valley her pale rays was shedding,
When I won the heart of the Rose of Tralee.
(Chorus)
In the far fields of India ‘mid war’s bloody thunders,
Her voice was solace and comfort to me,
But the cool hand of death has now torn us asunder,
I’m lonely tonight for my Rose of Tralee.
(Chorus x2)
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