Robert Donnelly was a prolific songwriter, who enjoyed his greatest successes in the 25 years before the First World War. Like so many of the songwriters little is known about his life. Some information can be found in contemporary newspapers and periodicals – though much of the broader biographical information comes from a short article that appeared in the Daily Mail in September 1938. The Daily Mail article described how he was living in the immediate aftermath of the death of his wife 50 years:
Robert , composer of over 2000 songs, some of which have brought in over £100,000 to the publishers, .. is now 78, and I saw him yesterday in his two-roomed flat [in] Camberwell, lonely and grief stricken….. In her younger days Mrs. Donnelly had appeared on the stage while her husband’s reputation was being gradually built up.
Just a month ago Mrs Donnelly entered St Giles’ Hospital suffering from heart trouble. After three days she insisted on going back to her husband. A doctor warned her that she would be walking to her death, but she was adamant.
[On arriving home] she was taken upstairs to the bedroom where, as her husband placed his arms round her, she murmured “Bob, Oh Bob!” and died.
Percival Banyard, The song has ended, Daily Mail, Sept 3 1938
The journalist is perhaps suggesting that Donnelly’s life was as tragic as some of the sentimental songs he wrote .
From the Daily Mail article we can estimate that he was born in approximately 1860, and that his original name was Robert Whale.
As well as sentimental songs , he wrote some comic pieces and many, many Irish songs. Several songs of his have been popular with traditional singers:
- Blind Irish girl, The (RN22769)
- Don’t go down the mine Dad (RN2334)
- May I come home once more (RN21988)
- Miner and the rose, The (RN24451)
- You wish me to forget you (but you’ll want me back some day) (RN5352)
This attachment represents as complete list as I can come up with of Donnelly’s songs with Roud numbers where they exist.
Last Updated on May 3, 2022 by John Baxter | Published: February 5, 2022
