Family of Derry’s ‘singing butcher’ record humorous song for grandmother about life indoors while social distancing

The Mother’s Day message was penned by local man Mark McCafferty - known locally as the Singing Butcher after a video of him singing to a customer, Maisie Crawford (who sadly passed away recently) back in 2017 went viral.

Mark, who works at Hegarty’s Butchers in the town, was observing social distancing protocols and waiting in his car to collect a floral display for Mother’s Day when he penned the humorous song in ten minutes to the tune of the ballad, ‘The Mountain of Mourne’.

Upon returning home to Carnhill from the Shantallow florist’s shop at the weekend, he shared the song with his wife Seana and daughters Ella (13) and Aoife Lily (12).

The song was written as a message to Mark’s own mother, and the children’s granny, Margaret McCafferty, who, like many thousands across the city, has been self-isolating as recommended by health authorities.

Amazingly, the children picked up the words of the new song in no time and Shauna recorded them singing the song, accompanied by Mark on guitar, in one take.

The song, which takes a humorous look at family life while indoors, has since been seen and shared by thousands of people after it was uploaded onto Facebook. And the young members of the talented McCafferty clan proved to be in fine voice.

Seana told the Journal they had great craic filming the song. “The reaction has been phenomenal,” she said. “We did the video in one take.

“When Mark’s mother saw it she rang. She said, ‘Oh my God!’”