Media

Journal of the Irish Folk Song Society, Volume 3, Issue 16, Page 26

Journal of the Irish Folk Song Society, Volume 3, Issue 16, Page 26
4 views

Properties

periodical Publisher
Irish Folk Song Society
periodical Editor
[Periodical]
periodical Title
Journal of the Irish Folk Song Society
volume Number
3
issue Content
( 25 )flour upon her back. I 10. If we could get settled with our landlords, To great riches we never7. fl1 r Anu coloce c0 5AO ti ctAmpAp, would aspire. A ride on a horse I would not ask for, But the straddle for a saddle, and a car.Ctl1 tyeAlllUiO CATh A i l1OC CAOA, 11. To be freed from a third part of my debts, And never again to have them asked for; To getmbreocanlu lo 114 l ltAl1l1CAl 5 r meal at the end of the year, Theres my request, if its granted.As r cUloedCAnhtirn i.e li-ei tinn o b 4c.8. VA All l11AjO A 5li eArboStuam AAg inideAde Allolill uAirn l 5411 1 i 1 o itt,SifrO All pf .1O1l1l A fl1A l teAllAr All CliptA,Ap cA iflmo t Sc. SeopSe ill .d.iiiii.9. V ppAlngeodAlfi rte .o dtICA 114 11-fi OAlp,Agu cuI lp1fi p o Cll41 t0 AI 5A11 iiioitt.bib C %l1ll5 Alt All 5CAltti yAOI tutnArAgu mALA mAp ptdip p A opuim.10. OA brAtAS mum pdlfiOeAd tm Ap oci-teApnA,lii lApl%TAO mum mAplimAI go bpAd,tnApCul5eAcC 441 eAdpAlu) lii lAp Alnn,AdO All cri tAdAll m p olAttAmo A All cApp.TRANsLaTIoN.1. We will give a blessing to the major, Himself is the manager in truth; It was he whosnatched from death the hundreds, And would not let the poor Irish die. 2. The people werecoming in their crowds, And they increased in numbers every. day. The prince would not put afrown on his face, Until Gods Son was bountiful to mankind. 3. It was the major who arrangedfor alithis, And sent out the message everywhere: Open up the storehouses of Ireland, Andlet not the poor Irish die. j 4. Let ye distribute meal in hundreds, And set up a crane in myyard. And leave to the shebeen-folk the pewter, The pint as an alms, and the quart. I5. As soon as the famine came to Ireland, His kindly heart throbbed with good-nature. He sentoff a ship in full sail, And it filled with yellow gold and silver. 6. There is not in the fiveprovinces of Ireland The peer of Mrs. Major to be found, The Burkes, the true flower of our.nobilityNor among the descendants of the Royal House of Spain. 7. If war or dissensionever comes (amongst us), We will put up a camp on Knoekma; We will rout the French andthe Spaniards, And we will guard Erin for ever. 8. The Major and the Archbishop of TuamAre setting out from here very soon; There is the prince in whose train they follow, That is,Minor St. George, in Headford. 9. They will draw to them the nobility (authors), And theywill pay him a visit very Boon; The hag will have a hump on her by August, And a big bag of( 24 )2. l li ri o A 5 CeAdO Ill-A or7pdAOAIb ,Agii neApotilt lAO l 5 At AIm gAd LA,fli dulltreAo All pplOl1flrA gpuAlm Alt bid Ill AdAnAll,no guph fAiprills tilAc 06 A fit 40411113. l) A All ll1AjO t A dlotlllrcAIt All tlleAOreo,A tiomAin IIAIfi ISdAl I I1 5AC Alo.rorstulsiA hA li.elpeAlmn114 tei iS a AeSlt bodc dull bAir.4. t1olltltl 1fi 111111 111-A gcd .aocAabAstir P1ti ru r crane i mo yardAstir Ag 4 5 tticc ribin All pAOAlt,An pihucA, mAp Sdtpce, r All cApe.5. 11u ip A tAiiiic All 5O tOA 50 ll-lphllhh,SeAS 00 f peAb cpoiSe thA ydite I bpAipc,ttolnAhll 11410 tohl 5 A l 11-A reotCAlbS i tAn oe t Op buide ASIIF bAll.6. tiiL re 1 5 C1il 5 Cfilglb hA lu.empeAlhnA beAll All fliAjOp te yA Ait,mAp t iop-rso hA l1 uAhFte All bdpcAd,Ito A bpult A fti060 etAinne I thEce Ar AllSpAl 1111.11. tlAfl A beic op oe hA ylAdAubAfl lAX) bA n-htlutA l) Apir 50 hi AllAdo mill fAdAlt 1 nnehpeA0 I1A bIlASnA,Astir pn A5AIb flllAppAlt) mA fA Alm.This song aim was composed by Pat Greany. The Major Kirwan herereferred to was father of Ze Ai1 o , and it is told of him that, during afamine, probably about 1820, he distributed meal among the needy at hisown expense; and for his generosity the poet is here praising him.This Major Kirwan, whose portrait hangs in the hail at Castle Racket, isstill more celebrated as being the owner of a famous racehorse called TheFriar, and the employer of an equally famous jockey, known still amongstthe people as Seaghan Boy. The skull of The Friar is preserved; andhangs yet upon one of the walls of the Castle; and if the story be true, thistribute to his memory is only a fitting reward for great benefit conferred.Between racing and betting the Majors affairs had been reduced to a verylow ebb; so desperate indeed were they, that hi t whole fortune dependedupon his luck at a coming race at the Curragh. Would The Friar beequal to the task expected of him? And, would Seaghan Boy be able to leadhim to victory? Alas! as the time of the race drew near, the poor jockeywas taken sick and like to die. Another man was chosen, but with smallhopes of success, for The Friar was tricky, and no one understood himso well as his accustomed rider. The state of poor Seaghan Boy at being leftbehind was pitiable, but, making an almost superhuman effort, he called for apint of whiskey; wrapped himself up, and, travelling by quick stages, hemanaged to arrive on the course as the race was about to start. MountingThe Friar, but not knowing in what mood he might be, he said toMrs. Kirwan as he passed, If I have the whip in my mouth at the firstround, bet your carriage on him. Tie passed ;th ihip in his mouth,-and twas a famous victory.No one believes, however, that Seaghan Boy was able to do this unaided:he had the help of Finvarra and his fairy host, who have their dwelling inKnockma, and, of course, as they say, he would have won the-race even ifit was a pig he was riding.There is no monument to Seaghan Boy, but his memory is green amongthe people; and on the slope of the hill there is a field still known as FriarPark, where the noble horse spent the last years of his existence in peaceand contentment./V
issue Number
16
page Number
26
periodical Author
[Periodical]
issue Publication Date
1967-01-01T00:00:00
allowedRoles
anonymous,guest,friend,member

Journal of the Irish Folk Song Society, Volume 3, Issue 16

Related Keywords