The story behind Les Lacs du Connemara: the surprising French hit
One of the best-known songs in France is rooted in a different country and culture
Famous French song Les Lacs du Connemara by Michel Sardou (pictured) was inspired by Irish landscapes
Shutterstock/Karlo Curis, Wikimedia Commons/Guy Delsaut
Connemara does not sound like a typical French place name, so you could be forgiven for wondering why it is the subject of one of France’s most loved songs.
Les Lacs du Connemara is likely a tune you have heard before if you have ever attended a French party or celebration – it is one of those songs that gets the whole crowd singing.
Released in 1981 by French singer Michel Sardou on the album of the same name, the song quickly became a hit that has remained popular with generations ever since.
But what exactly are its origins?
Michel Sardou’s creativity was sparked when he heard the distorted strains of composer Jacques Revaux’s music synthesiser – having been transported a long way in the heat, it made a noise similar to that of someone playing the bagpipes.
For Sardou this brought Scotland to mind - a country he had never visited but was inspired to write about.
Songwriter Pierre Delanoë, who had also never been to Scotland, set off on a quest to do some research about the country they hoped to create a song about.
Rather than coming back with information on Scotland, he instead found a tourist guide for Ireland and the Connemara lakes. None of the men writing the song had ever visited Ireland, and thus relied largely on the descriptions of the wild lakes and their own imaginations to bring the song to life.
They have admitted the view of Connemara in the song is somewhat romanticised, given they had never visited the lakes upon writing.
The scenery is not the only non-French aspect of the song – the story it tells is about a traditional Irish wedding between two characters, Maureen and Sean. It references Irish culture, Catholic traditions, family rivalries, and historical tensions involving the English and Welsh.
The song starts with a description of the rugged lakes, before introducing Maureen (who swims in the lake) and Sean. Other places named in the song are Tipperary, Ballyconnell and Galway, while traditional Irish names such as Connor, Les O’Conolly and Les Flatherty are among those attending the wedding.
As well as telling the story of the wedding, Les Lacs du Connemara also touches on Irish history and resistance to English rule, with the last verse ending with a reference to English kings.
Despite being over six minutes long (unusual for a pop single at the time), the song became a massive hit in France, selling over a million copies. Sardou himself reportedly doubted it would succeed because of its length and unusual subject matter.
The length of the song ended up playing in Sardou’s favour – an article in Le Parisien in 2019 revealed that he used the long musical loop at the end of the song in order to leave concerts unnoticed by fans.
Today, the song is legendary in France. It is frequently played at weddings, student parties, and public celebrations, where crowds often sing the final chorus together.
Over time, it has become less a song about Ireland and more a symbol of collective celebration and emotional release in French culture.
Though the song is such a hit in France, it is not widely recognised in Ireland.
Despite nowadays having some mixed reviews – in 2023, singer-songwriter Juliette Armanet described the song as “odious” and “right-wing”, causing a stir across the political spectrum – it cannot be denied that the song remains hugely popular in France, and is a sure fire hit on most party playlists.
