The Nightingale

While recently transcribing one of Danny Dowling’s (1927-2021) notebooks we came across several poems or verses recorded by Danny. Danny noted the editions and dates where the verses were published in The Nightingale. After a search we located a reference to The Nightingale in the National Library of Ireland’s Catalogue. It is described as a “weekly broadside of news, verse, etc.” published by Kellystown, Co. Wexford, and printed by J.J. Evoy. The National Library only holds one edition of The Nightingale, and this does not feature in Danny’s Notebook. We believe Danny must have read The Nightingale in the New Ross or Wexford libraries.

From the verses Danny recorded, it appears that at the turn of the twentieth century young men entertained themselves by making fun of their friends or foes. In the verses Danny recorded, the common theme is that young men were making fools of themselves over a girl seldom identified by name. The most prominent of the verses Danny recorded is “The Love of a Glenmore Girl,” appearing in the 24 October 1903 edition of The Nightingale (Vol. 34, No. 15). Danny noted the price of the publication was ½ d. (half a penny) and he found the verse in the “Co. Kilkenny Notes” section of the publication.

It is not known how long The Nightingale was published, but before radio or television it must have been something young people looked forward to reading each week.

“The Love of a Glenmore Girl” is below followed by the possible identification of persons named in the verse.  Rather than recite other verses that Danny recorded from The Nightingale we have an extract where another Glenmore suitor was mentioned.    

“The Love of a Glenmore Girl” (1903)

Come on now Mr. Editor,
I’m going to make a start,
I’m looking at a couple here,
Which nearly broke my heart.

Around the windows in the shed,
Each night I see them stray,
And one of them his Sunday trousers,
He’s wearing every day.

His name it tis D. B—n,
He came here from the Rower,
And I need not tell the dolly’s name,
It is well known before.

She said she loved him deeply,
And letters to him wrote,
And where they met to stand the set,
Was at the Ferryport.

But when he saw the sight of her,
His heart it leaped with joy,
But alas she did him pass along,
With a John Hill’s boy.

Poor Dick lamented sorely,
The day that he went there,
He raised his hands where he did stand,
And began to tear his hair.

I thought she loved him dearly,
But now I understand,
That everyday she does the Quay,
With Johnny—clap—hands.

Her name I’ll here not mention,
She is a charming maid,
A soaper in the laundry,
I think is her trade.

She’s known by every corner boy,
From John’s Street to the Square,
In Barrack Lane I heard them say,
Each night she travels there.

But now she’s home on furlough,
Theres others on her track,
D. Barron at the front door,
And T. Kelly at her back.

T. Kelly says he’ll gain her,
And Barron have no chance,
The other night I saw him kiss her,
At a threshing dance.

Each night he comes to see her,
And to the street he will jog,
And then he’s watching at the door,
Just like John Hearne’s dog.

So now Mr. Kelly I think its better you’d knock off,
And let D.B. go there and play ram-cat-faf.
And if you don’t o’r the railroad your car stick,
And then on Sunday you won’t have a penny in your fist.

Yours Truly, Dog Breath(?) Esq.

The Suitors

T. Kelly—In a notation on the page Danny wrote Graiguenakill. In the 1901 Census there was a Thomas Kelly (b.c. 1881) aged 20 years of age in Graiguenakill, Glenmore. Thomas Kelly in 1901 was working as a railway labourer. He lived with his widowed mother Catherine (aged 53) and his maternal uncle Michael Breen (aged 54). The railway was being built through Glenmore and Thomas Kelly probably came and went with the railway.

Dick Barron—in the 1901 census there were two Richard Barron’s in the Rower. The first candidate was a 19 year old farm labourer working for the 70 year-old widow, Bridget Carney at Ballyfolle Upper, the Rower, Kilkenny. The second candidate was an 18 year old son of John Barron (farmer aged 50) and his wife Ellen aged 45 of Kiltown, the Rower. The second candidate was still living at home in Kiltown in the 1911 census. The birth register reveals that candidate 2 was born on the 28^th of February 1883.

John Hearne—The 1901 Census does not reflect a John Hearne in Glenmore. There are over a dozen John Hearne’s in Waterford including a 20 year old carpenter living on Barrack St. His father was a publican. In New Ross there were ten John Hearne’s in the 1901 census. It is unclear from the census who owned a dog that watched doors.

Excerpt from “The Big Blow-up in Newtown(?) Co. Kilkenny”

There’s another boy he’s a courtin stray,
His name I will give down,
His name it is Jack Heffernan,
And lives in Aylwardstown.

He was courting one Miss Orchard,
And that without a doubt,
Until by Richard Dehy,
He was finally done out.

The Aylwardstown, Glenmore Suitor

John Heffernan (1881-1951) was the eldest child of Michael Heffernan and his wife Bridget Heffernan née Kennedy (c. 1853-1947).  According to the 1901 Census, John was 20 years old and was one of 11 children. According to a diary kept by James Aylward of Ballyhobuck, Glenmore (and recorded by Danny Dowling) John Heffernan of Aylwardstown married Mary Freney (c. 1880-1913) of Fahee, Kilmacow on 24 July 1907. “They sailed for America July 31^st 1907.” Tragically, Mary died on 18 June 1913, aged 30 of T.B. See our H Surname Page for further information on the large Heffernan family. 

For further information concerning the killing of Mary Heffernan née Freney’s father at Christmastime 1884, see our post of 12 December 2021.

For additional local verses see, Dick Claridge’s collection.

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Please send any and all corrections or additional information or local verses to glenmore.history@gmail.com.

The featured drawing is courtesy of The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library. “The two suitors” The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1913. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/9410fddb-04ac-cc65-e040-e00a180623c3

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh