Glenmore Verses, Rhymes & Lyrics
Over the years Danny recorded a number of verses, rhymes and song lyrics that were recited or sung by Glenmore people. Today, we are going to focus on the local verses, rhymes and lyrics and reserve the lyrics concerning Carrickshock etc. for another day. On 4 January 2020, Danny described the contributions of verses, rhymes and lyrics that he recorded as the “giving of an account, in verse of various happenings, some complimentary and others most uncomplimentary.” The local people who composed or recited verses, rhymes and lyrics were probably not aware of the fact that verses, rhymes and lyrics are all mnemonic devices, or memory devices, that aid a person’s information retention or retrieval. These mnemonic devices were viewed as a form of entertainment, but are valued today as part of the local oral tradition where information and ideas were orally communicated from one generation to the next.
The Suitor
The jilted suitor, or “wannabe” suitor features in some of the local rhymes and verses. Mick Walsh, of Grogan, Davidstown in Glenmore was interviewed on the 10th December 1969, and stated that “Peg Harte was asked by a man to marry her, but she carted him. He was mad after her especially as she had a £1,000 fortune.” After being rejected the man wrote on a poster outside Mallinarrigle chapel, the following verse:
Eliza Harte of Darbystown,
She is little and nothing,
And no great things,
She made her fortune on eggs and hens.
Similarly, Michael Power, of Busherstown, Glenmore told Danny on St. Stephen’s Day 1969 that Pat “Pand” Sheehan was married to Mary “Purse” Walsh. Mary Purse before she married Sheehan “was doing a line with” Johnnie “Pint” Holden and “she let him down.” After being rejected Johnnie “Pint” Holden composed the following rhyme:
Bad luck to you ’ould lazy Pand,
You took my love away,
To spend her life to be your wife,
On the bogs of Ballinclea.
Father Neary–Hero of the Ballyfacy Evictions
A tribute verse to Father Neary, the parish priest of Mullinavat was recorded by Danny on the 6th of May 1958 during an interview of Wattie Power, of Jamestown, Glenmore. During the interview Wattie stated that during the Ballyfacey evictions, his mother along with Danny’s great-grandmother walked from Jamestown to Ballyfacey to protest the evictions. Father Neary was there and saved the tenants from being evicted and on that account a song was composed in Father Neary’s honour. For further information on Fr. Neary and the Ballyfacey evictions see our post of 8 March 2020. Wattie provided the following verse of the song:
The poor they lost a noble friend,
The rich they lost a guide,
The orphans lost a father,
When Fr. Neary died.
School Boy Rhymes
On the other extreme, Wattie Power also recited a rhyme from his youth that referred to a local hedge school that operated in the early 19th century by a man named Philip Wallace, of Redgap.
Phillips scholars against the wall,
A pint of piss would drown them all.
Wattie Power, in 1955, also told Danny that when Wattie was a chap Danny’s grandfather first recited to Wattie a rhyme connected with the practice of keeping hens in the dwellinghouse. According to Wattie up until about 1880 it was quite a common practice to roost hens on stout sticks called cársnáns inside the front door. In some cases the hens were kept on a roost which stretched right across the kitchen from wall to wall. Wattie and Michael Power saw such a roost in Brian McCabe’s old house in Jamestown. The incident which lead to the rhyme below happened somewhere in Glenmore.
You saucy hen of little wit, How dare you down on Cashen shit, Tis in your arse, I’d drive a peg, The way you’ll never lay another egg.
Bread
In 1955 Danny recorded two verses regarding bread that were commonly recited “100 years ago”. Although both are similar one was contributed by Wattie Power, of Jamestown, and the other came from “Nicky the Miller” Forristal of Graiguenakill, Glenmore.
I. Barley bread ’ld kill a man dead,
Rye bread will do him no harm,
Oaten bread will clean the blood
And wheaten bread will strengthen the arm.
II. Barley bread would starve you dead,
Yellow meal bread would do you no harm,
Oaten bread would strengthen your blood,
And wheaten bread would strengthen your arm.
The First Faction Fight
Wattie Power, in November 1955, also recited to Danny an old verse that he heard from the old people when he was a chap regarding St. Patrick’s Day.
The first faction fight in Old Ireland they say,
Was all on account of St. Patrick’s Day,
Some fought for the eighth,
For the ninth some would die,
And whoever said wrong,
They would blacken his eye,
Until Father Mulcahy, he told them their sin,
He said boys don’t be fighting but sometimes combine,
Don’t be always disputing about 8 and 9,
Combine 8 and 9, 17 is the mark,
And let that be his birthday,
Amen said the Clerk.
Ballad of the Drowninng of Two Donkeys
Nicky the Miller in a 1977 interview provided Danny with the following verses from a ballad composed about the “blackguardly deed” of drowning two donkeys in a late in Rochestown. For our international readers the lates of Rochestown are 10 to 12 foot deep drains in the marshes that flow into the river. A man by the name of Gahan, of Rochestown, Glenmore was suspected as being the culprit and was aided by another man. The donkeys were owned by a poor local man called James the Piper. Old James Whelan, “the Walker,” of Ballyhobuck, Glenmore often sang this ballad.
Ye drifters and ye travellers with me do sympathise,
And I hope this lamentation will draw tears down from your eyes,
Concerning this cruel murder that happened here of late,
And to piper’s pair of donkeys they were drowned in the late.
The night was cold and stormy and the north wind it blew harsh,
And for to get some shelter, they strayed into the Marsh.
At 11 or 12 o’clock, their enemy came that way,
And they shoved the pair of donkey down into the dark and dismal late.
And as for his wife Catherine, ‘tis she will feel the smart,
For she was at her liberty, when she had her ass and cart.
The Loss of My Coat
Nicky “the Miller” also provided Danny with the following which are a few verses from another ballad also sung by James Whelan.
The Loss of My Coat T’was beg’n in the month of December, I remember the day of the week, I was cuttin’ furze, earnin’ my wages, The I wasn’t inclined for to sleep, I woke with the blooming of róró, When I arrived at my business, I threw my good coat on the ground, Expecting to do my endeavours, My faggots to lie them right sound. Then I was called to my dinner, Away sure I whistled and bowled, When I returned to my business again, My coat was devoured by a cow, She instantly ran away among numbers, I couldn’t convict her on oath, I sat down in deep contemplation, Bewailing the loss of my coat. I think I will go across the Atlantic, If I can get a ship or boat, And I’ll sail into some warm climate, where I won’t want ‘era coat.
The Wall Families of Treanaree
Sometimes religion or religious practices are credited with being the inspiration, or the alleged inspiration of rhymes and verses. For example, Nicky Walsh, of Grogan, Davidstown, Glenmore, told Danny that there were 3 families of Wall in Treanaree, Slieverue, each with small farms. In the past to ensure that all parishioners contributed to the Church the names and amounts paid by parishioners were read out during Mass. It was said that the Slieverue priest when reading out the list of contributors to the collection unwittingly made a rhyme of the Treanaree Wall families that stuck.
Long Tom, Tom and Tommy,
Big Nick, Dick and Foxy Paddy.
Catechism
In 1958 in the Glenmore National School, Gerald Hines, of Ballybrahee, helped other young scholars with the spelling of Catechism both forward and backwards (although it is not clear the benefit of spelling the word backwards we have included it.)
Forward:
Catty Atty Told Elly Connolly How I Stole Money = CATECHISM
Backwards:
Master Sits In His Chair Each Time At Catechism =MSIHCETAC
Mrs. Deady’s Trimmings
Our final local verse today was said to have been a prayer said by Mrs. Deady, of Upper Ballyfacey, Glenmore as part of “the trimmings” after the praying of the rosary. In Glenmore the rosary after supper each evening was recited. Allegedly a passer-by overheard Mrs. Deady one evening. According to Tom Mullins, late of Flemingstown and Dublin, this verse was attributed to the Paddy O’Connor family of Ballyfacey. Mariah Deady, who is mentioned in the verse, taught some of the Paddy O’Connor brothers when they were at school.
God bless me and my man Pat,
Make Mariah and Mikey fat,
Us four, no more,
Amen.
Update—We will be posting on the webpage a guest article from Martin Forristal concerning Mount Ida in the next week. If you have a guest article concerning Glenmore, that you would like to have posted on the webpage please forward it for consideration to our email glenmore.history@gmail.com.
If you are not aware, material added to the webpage over the past couple of weeks includes: family updates, a list from 1884 of Glenmore farmers, and more useful links.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
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