Theme from Harry's Game

The song was written "in a couple of hours",{{cite journal |journal=Dirty Linen |number=47 |date=August–September 1993 |title=Clannad & Máire Brennan |first=Lahri |last=Bond |url=http://www.dirtynelson.com/linen/feature/47clannad.html |access-date=5 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081108104709/http://www.dirtynelson.com/linen/feature/47clannad.html }} credited to Pól and Ciarán Brennan.{{#tag:ref|

The song is credited solely to Paul Brennan (Pól Ó Braonáin) in the liner notes of various recordings from 1982 to 1995,e.g.

• {{cite web |title=Clannad - Theme From Harry's Game (1982 single: RCA 292) |url=https://www.discogs.com/Clannad-Theme-From-Harrys-Game/release/1054043 |website=Discogs |access-date=25 August 2019 |language=en}} and {{cite book |last1=Harris |first1=Steve |title=Film, television, and stage music on phonograph records : a discography |date=1988 |publisher=McFarland |chapter=Harry's Game |location=Jefferson, N.C. |page=298, No.8767 |isbn=978-0-89950-251-9 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/filmtelevisionst00harr/page/298 |access-date=25 August 2019 |chapter-url-access=registration}};
• {{cite web |title=Clannad - Magical Ring (1983: RCA PL 70003) |url=https://www.discogs.com/Clannad-Magical-Ring/release/692239 |website=Discogs |access-date=25 August 2019 |language=en}};
• {{cite web |title="Patriot Games" OST (RCA 07863-66051-2) |url=https://archive.org/details/cd_patriot-games_james-horner-clannad |website=Internet Archive |publisher=BMG Victor |access-date=25 August 2019 |date=1992}};
• {{cite web |title=Anam (Atlantic 7-82409-2) |url=https://archive.org/details/cd_anam_clannad-bono |website=Internet Archive |publisher=Atlantic |access-date=25 August 2019 |date=1992}};
• {{cite web |title=Themes (Atlantic 82737-2) |url=https://archive.org/details/cd_themes_clannad |website=Internet Archive |publisher=Atlantic |access-date=25 August 2019 |date=1995}}

and to Paul and Ciarán in liner notes from 2003 and later.e.g.

• {{cite web |title=Magical Ring [2003 remaster; RCA/BMG 82876-54503-2] |url=https://www.discogs.com/ko/Clannad-Magical-Ring/release/937389 |website=Discogs |access-date=25 August 2019 |language=ko}};
• {{cite web |title=The Best of Clannad: In a Lifetime (RCA/BMG 82876-58564-2) |url=https://archive.org/details/cd_the-best-of-clannad-in-a-lifetime_clannad |website=Internet Archive |publisher=BMG |access-date=25 August 2019 |date=2004}};
• {{cite web |title=Live in Concert (KOC-CD-9674) |url=https://archive.org/details/cd_live-in-concert_clannad |website=Internet Archive |publisher=KOCH Records |access-date=25 August 2019 |date=2005}}

According to Moya Brennan, it was written "mainly" by Paul and Ciarán, with some input from her.{{cite web |title=The Success Of Clannad |url=https://www.rte.ie/archives/2017/1025/915077-the-success-of-clannad/ |website=RTÉ Archives |access-date=25 August 2019 |at=1m18s |language=en |date=25 October 2017 |orig-year=1987}}

|group="n"|name="writers"}} Gerald Seymour, author of Harry's Game, originally wanted to use "Mhorag 's Na Horo Gheallaidh", a Scottish Gaelic song from Clannad's album Fuaim, but Clannad felt Irish-language lyrics would be more appropriate. The verse is adapted from a Connacht Irish proverb in a 1948 anthology,{{#tag:ref|The original is:

:Imeoidh an seanfhear atá cráite liath,

:Imeoidh an fhuiseog is áilne ar an gcraoibh,

:Imeoidh an duine óg is a cháil ina dhiaidh

:Imeoidh a dtiocfaidh is a dtáinig ariamh.

A literal translation to English is:

:The old man, grey with torment, will go,

:The most beautiful skylark on the branch will go,

:The young man will go, and his reputation will follow him,

:All that ever will come and has come will go.

|group="n"}}{{cite book |last1=Ó Máille |first1=Tomás S. |title=Sean-fhocla Chonnacht |date=1948 |volume=1 |page=8, No. 51 |publisher=Oifig an tSoláthair |language=Irish |oclc=14877629}}; cited in {{cite book |last1=Denvir |first1=Gearóid |title=Cadhan aonair: saothar liteartha Mháirtín uí Chadhain |isbn=978-0-903758-45-1 |date=1987 |series=Leabhair thaighde |volume=54 |publisher=An Clóchomhar |page=52 |language=Irish}} glossed by Máire (Moya) Brennan as "Everything that is and was will cease to be." This was considered appropriate to the miniseries' depiction of the futility of political violence.{{cite web |url=http://www.musicaldiscoveries.com/reviews/moyabrennan.htm |title=Two Horizons: Moya Brennan |website=Musical Discoveries |first=Justin R. |last=Elswick |date=31 January 2004 |orig-year=2003 |access-date=23 August 2019}}

The song is to date the only British hit single ever to have been sung entirely in Irish.{{Cite web|title=Moya Brennan at Musical Discoveries|url=http://www.musicaldiscoveries.com/reviews/moyabrennan.htm|access-date=2021-09-08|website=www.musicaldiscoveries.com}} The chorus "Fol lol the doh fol the day, Fol the doh fol the day", is ancient Irish mouth-music, known as Portaireacht, which is common in traditional music.{{Cite web|date=2009-05-02|title=Clannad & Máire Brennan|url=http://www.dirtynelson.com:80/linen/feature/47clannad.html|access-date=2021-09-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502032412/http://www.dirtynelson.com:80/linen/feature/47clannad.html|archive-date=2 May 2009}}

Over previous albums, Clannad's sound had moved away from traditional Irish music arrangements, and the production of "Theme from Harry's Game", using lush slow layers of synthesiser and vocal harmony, marked the arrival of what would become their signature style for the next decade.

The song won an Ivor Novello award, and launched Clannad's global career. Its success delayed the release of the band's 1983 album Magical Ring, which was altered to include it and more material in the same style.{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/Clannad|title=Clannad|website=Discogs}}

It has since appeared in several Hollywood movies, most notably Patriot Games, in which an IRA member, played by Patrick Bergin, is seen watching the music video for the song on his television.

Clannad's 1990 album Anam was released in the United States in 1992 to capitalise on the Patriot Games exposure, with "Harry's Game" inserted in the tracklist; the album sold well and the track was often broadcast on VH1.{{cite magazine |last1=Newman |first1=Melinda |title=New Clannad Set Coming To America |magazine=Billboard |date=22 May 1993 |volume=105 |issue=21 |pages=12, 113 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cygEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA113 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media |language=en}} Its use from late 1992 in a Volkswagen Passat commercial introduced Clannad to a broader American audience and boosted sales of Anam.{{cite news |last1=Gates |first1=David |title=The Marketing O' The Green |url=https://www.newsweek.com/marketing-o-green-191708 |access-date=25 August 2019 |work=Newsweek |date=4 April 1993 |page=60 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Clancy |first1=Luke |title=Celtic Cake Mix |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/celtic-cake-mix-1.50003 |access-date=24 August 2019 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=17 May 1996 |page=12 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Hochman |first1=Steve |title=Clannad Finds Road to U.S. Exposure : Pop music: The use of 'Harry's Game' in TV car commercials has given the Irish folk-pop group another shot at the American market. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-06-02-ca-42471-story.html |access-date=24 August 2019 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=2 June 1993}}

The song also features on Clannad's vocalists' live albums, the 2005 album Óró - A Live Session and the 2008 Moya Brennan solo album Heart Strings. The original has also been sampled various times by artists such as Kaleef and Elate. Moya Brennan recorded a solo version at Mothership Studio for dance musician Chicane, which he used on his UK top 10 hit "Saltwater."

1. "Theme from Harry's Game" – 2:30
2. "Strayed Away" – 2:47

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In 1989, as part of the promotion for their compilation Pastpresent, Clannad re-released the "Theme from Harry's Game" as an AA-side single with their new song "Hourglass."

File:Windmill Lane Studio.jpg in Dublin.]]

In 1992, the "Theme from Harry's Game" was used in the soundtrack to the film Patriot Games, and it was also re-released as a single on 21 September that year.{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=10|date=19 September 1992}} There were two versions of the CD single, a two-track and a four-track version, both with the same cover and catalogue number.

7" single, cassette, 5" compact disc

1. "Theme from Harry's Game"
2. "Robin (The Hooded Man)"

5" compact disc

1. "Theme from Harry's Game"
2. "Robin (The Hooded Man)"
3. "In a Lifetime"
4. "Closer to your Heart"

In 1993, in connection with an advertising campaign for Jameson Whiskey, both "Theme from Harry's Game" and "In A Lifetime" were re-released in The Netherlands.

1. "Theme from Harry's Game"
2. "Caisleán Óir"

The song has been covered by artists including Phil Coulter{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000003G93|title=Legends|date=25 February 1997|via=Amazon}} and Celtic Woman.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0007GAEGC|title=Celtic Woman|date=22 May 2006|via=Amazon}} The Irish rock band U2 also used the song as their outro during the War Tour, and it can be heard as such at the beginning and end of their live film U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky.{{cite web |url=http://www.extrasolar.net/clannad/fuaimart.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=2007-09-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070330065614/http://www.extrasolar.net/clannad/fuaimart.htm |archive-date=2007-03-30 }} It has also been used extensively by the RAF for the decommissioning flypasts of the Avro Vulcan Delta wing bomber, and subsequently in memorial flights at airshows.{{cite web|url=http://www.amiga.2-cool.co.uk/vulcanweb/vulcan_index.htm|title=Vulcan index}}

• 1986 – Light Shadows
• 1993 – Phil Coulter on Recollections
• 1996 – The game Civilization II features that music as the soundtrack of "The Oracle" wonder of the world
• 1997 – Phil Coulter and James Galway on Legends
• 1999 – Chicane on Saltwater
• 2005 – Órla Fallon, then of Celtic Woman, on Celtic Woman (album)
• 2009 – Ron van den Beuken feat. Nicole Tyler on Faraway
• 2009/2011 – Dierdre Shannon on Celtic Thunder: Storm (the album was recorded in 2009 but released in 2011)
• 2019 – Voces8 on Enchanted Isle
• 2022 – Daithí on Irish Songbook: Vol 1{{Cite web |last=Newsdesk |first=The Hot Press |title=MuRli, Maria Kelly, Daithí and more reimagine classic tracks for the 'Irish Songbook: Vol 1' compilation album |url=https://www.hotpress.com/culture/murli-maria-kelly-daithi-and-more-reimagine-classic-tracks-for-the-irish-songbook-vol-1-compilation-album-22897091 |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=Hotpress}}
• 2022 – LN-6 on Theme from Harry's Game{{Cite web |title=Theme from Harry's Game - LN-6 |url=https://open.spotify.com/track/0ulK2qaB8eWxiyT9wC1TF6?si=86728e2c69844cdc |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=Spotify}}

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Category:1983 songs

Category:Celtic Woman songs

Category:Clannad songs

Category:Irish songs

Category:Songs in Irish

Category:Television drama theme songs

Category:Songs written by Pól Brennan

Category:Songs about The Troubles (Northern Ireland)

Category:Anti-war songs

Category:RCA Records singles

Category:1980s in Irish music