“All the gold in Gortin” is another great original song from the pen of Tyrone singer song-writer Justin McGurk. Justin comes from the parish of Kildress which neighbours Greencastle & Gortin where they have been digging for gold for the past 30 years.
The song paints a picture of the beautifully scenic area set in the heart of Sperrin Mountains. It’s an emigration song from the perspective of a young man, like so many others from the area, who has left his home in Ireland to go seek his fortune and in Australia. The irony is that he travels thousands of miles to the other side of the world only to end up working in a Gold mine down under.
He reminisces and yearns for home by drinking whiskey and singing popular Irish songs like “The pretty little girl from Omagh”, “The Hills of Donegal” and “The Green Glens of Antrim.” He misses his family, friends and his hometown so much that he would give all the gold in Gortin to be back home in Ireland once again.
Leave a Reply