A Belfast Harbour Song | The Shipyard Fairy (Thomas Carnduff)

Belfast has always lived by the water. For generations, ships were built beneath the giant gantries of Harland & Wolff, while families depended on the sea for their livelihoods. In this remarkable poem, Belfast writer and shipyard worker Thomas Carnduff imagines the sea itself arriving in human form — a mysterious visitor wearing a white bonnet of sea foam and a pea-green cloak, scattering diamonds of spray across the harbour waters. This modern musical adaptation reimagines Carnduff's poem for a new generation, blending Belfast's maritime heritage with a contemporary cinematic sound. The "Shipyard Fairy" is not a fairy in the modern fantasy sense. She is the spirit of the sea itself — beautiful, mysterious, life-giving, and dangerous — holding in her hands the fortunes and lives of those who work upon the water. About Thomas Carnduff Thomas Carnduff (1886–1956) was a Belfast poet, novelist, playwright and shipyard worker. Born into a working-class family in Belfast, he spent much of his life employed in the city's industries, including the shipyards that shaped Belfast's identity. Unlike many writers of his era, Carnduff wrote directly about ordinary working people, industrial Belfast, labour, poverty, community and the lives of those who built the city. His poetry captured both the harsh realities and the hidden beauty of working-class life. Today he is recognised as one of Belfast's most important local literary voices. Credits Words: Thomas Carnduff (1886–1956) Lyrics adapted for song: Viola Dono Musical arrangement & production: Viola Dono Vocals: Digital performance Artwork & video: AI-assisted production under the creative direction of Viola Dono © 2026 Viola Dono / Irish Longing Traditional literary work used under public domain status. Licensing & collaboration enquiries: LinkedIn: Viola Dono Adapted Lyrics Osay, little stranger, and who may you be? Are you from the river or in from the sea? I have seen you most often, so solemn and grave, Come creeping up here on the crest of a wave. Shipyard Fairy, rise from the sea, Bring your diamonds on the tide to me, Harbour lights are shining bright tonight, Dance upon the water in the silver light. In your bonnet of white and your cloak of pea green, And the diamonds that fall from your garments just stream At our feet in a cluster, then vanish at sight, Like the lamps on the gantry that peep out at night. Shipyard Fairy, rise from the sea, Bring your diamonds on the tide to me, Harbour lights are shining bright tonight, Dance upon the water in the silver light. Come here, little stranger, there's nothing to fear From the men on the ships, for they hold you most dear; You comfort and feed them, their children and wives, And you hold in your lap all their fortune—and lives. Over the harbour, over the tide, Watching the city from the waterside, Keeper of dreams beneath the sky, Guide every vessel passing by. Shipyard Fairy, rise from the sea, Bring your diamonds on the tide to me, Harbour lights are shining bright tonight, Dance upon the water in the silver light. Shipyard Fairy, rise from the sea, Carry our hopes where the ships run free, Harbour lights are shining bright tonight, Dance upon the water in the silver light.