Tape 24

Mikeen McCarthy, mid 1975

Contents.

I Wish All My Children Were Babies Again.

Bessie Of Ballentown Brae

North Kerry

Malone (the Half Crown)

Early In The Month of Spring

Green Mossy Banks of the Lee

Bunclaudy  (frag)

Bonny Bunch Of Roses  (Inc)  (sold as ballad sheet)

Barbara Allen  (frag)

The Night You Gave Me back My Ring

One Fine Summers Morning

Every Grain Of Sand  (American Wake Song)

The Blackbird  (lilting)

Poor Little Fisher Boy  (1v)

Murder  found out by riddle  (story)

Dan Doran’s Donkey  (story)

Mikey Donoghue’s tinware  (story)`

The Mermaid an the curse of The Murphys

Master McGrath origins

Maid of Malabar

Bonny Bunch of Roses

Jim Carroll      When you’re ready

Michael McCarthy.

I wisht all my children were babies again,

would never complain

If my children were babies again.

I met an old lady one day

And if all of her wishes came true.

Her eyes filled with tears as she looked back at years,

Her memory quickly flew.

If I only had one wish to make,

Oh this is the wish I would take,

I wish I could rock them in their little nest

And someday I'd lullaby three.

‘Twould bring all the heartaches and would never complain

If my children were babies again.

J C         Where would you learn that, is that one you learned from a sheet?

M Mc.   No, one from my father, I learned that one from my father.

J C         When would you learn that, when?

M Mc     Oh, when I was a kid must be, I'm forty four now, must be forty years ago.

M Mc.

Oh fair men and maidens, I pray you draw near,

Some more short feeling verses you're now going to hear,

Considering lovely Bessie of Ballentown Brae,

It's the lord of the moonland has led her astray.

Oh, one night as this young man has lay down to sleep,

Charming Bessie came o'er him and o'er him did weep.

Is that the voice of my Bessie, this young man did say?

Leave me down by her side in sweet Ba1lentown Bras.

Oh then, Bessie's own father..........

Oh, he ordered his horsemen to saddle his steed,

Over hills and high mountains be rode in great speed

Until he arrived at the clear break of day

At Bessie's own cottage in Ballentown Brae.

Oh then, Bessie’s own father stood at his own gate

Like a man quite indaunted with ill on his face,

Saying, you are my defaulter, you caused me to roam

Far away from my friends and away from my home.

He put his hand to his staff belt and a sharp sword he drew

And then right through his left side he pierced his heart through,

And then when he was dying those last words he said;

Leave me down by her side in sweet Ballentown Brae.

J C           Did you have a sheet of that?

M Mc        Yeah, yeah.

M Mc

Oh the war is all over and my Connor is not returning,

Oh together how oft' o'er the mountain we strayed,

Oh then, some cruel God above will him not returning,

I am waiting here all the day long for my dear, dear Irish Boy

Take me home, take me home, take me home to North Kerry,

Take me home to the land of my dear Irish boy,

Oh then, smiling, beguiling, oh then cheering, endearing,

I am waiting here all the day long for my dear, dear Irish boy.

J C             Where did you learn that?

M Mc        I forget that now too, you see, off the father again.

M Mc         

And there was a man called Mick Malone and I was honest Pat,

He borrowed a half-a-crown from me, he. never brought it back.

A half-a-crown is a half-a-crown; of course it's two and six

And as soon's I catch Malone alone I'll stop his dirty tricks.

Now I called Malone to see Malone, I asked Malone to pay,

And when Malone saw me alone, Malone says, get away.

So I'll get even with Malone and I'll give him cause to groan

And I'm the boy that'll knock it out of Malone, Malone, Malone.

Now a half-a crown's a half-a-crown, as I have said before,

Instead of' paying what he owe, he tries to borrow more,

He'll take you in and he'll flatter you and 'tis he that knows the way,

He well knows how to borrow but he don't know how to pay

Now a half-a-crown's a half-a-crown, of course it's two and six,

And as soon's I catch Malone alone, I'll stop his dirty tricks,

So I'll get even with Malone and I'll give him cause to groan

And I'm the boy that'll knock it out of Malone, Malone, Malone.

 Denis Turner.     

              Have you had that song long Michael?

M Mc    Oh Jakers, years and years, since I was a kid again, back through the years again.

M Mc.

Oh 'twas early, early in the month of Spring,

When my love Willie went to serve the king,

The night was dark and the wind blew high.

Oh, that parted me from my sailor boy.

Oh then, father, father, build me a boat,

It's on the ocean I mean to float

To watch those big ships as they pass by,

Have they any tidings of my Willie boy.

Oh, she was not sailing but a day or two

When she spied a French ship and all her crew.

Saying, captain, captain, come tell me true,

Oh does my boy Willie sail aboard with you?

What colour hair has your Willie dear?

What kind of clothes do your Willie wear?

He've a black silk jacket and it trimmed all round,

And his golden locks they are hanging down.

Oh indeed, fair lady, your love is not here,

For he is drownded I am greatly feared,

In yon green island as we passed by

Oh, we lost nine more and your Willie boy.

Oh, she wrung her hands and she tore her hair,

She was like a lady all on despair,

She dashed her small boat against the rocks,

Saying, what will I do if my love is lost?

Oh father, father, dig we my grave,

Dig it long, both wide and deep,

Put a headstone to my head and feet

And let the world know it was in love I died.

M Mc

I came first to this country a stranger;

Curiosity caused me to roam

And through England and Ireland and Scotland,

Since I left Philadelpy, my home.

Oh I quickly sailed over to England,

Where grand beauties and mellows do shine,

And 'tis there I beheld a fine damsel

And I pray up to God she'll be mine.

Oh, I quickly stepped up to this fair maid,

Her pale cheeks they blushed like a rose,

And your beautiful mellows and charms,

Your gardener I'll be if you choose.

Oh kind sir, I don't want no gardener,

Young man, you're a stranger to me,

And 'tis yonder my father is coming

O'er the green mossy banks of the Lea.

Oh I quickly stepped up to her father,

My spirit I summoned once more,

Saying, kind sir, if this be your daughter,

She's the young one I do adore.

Oh, two thousand a year is my fortune

And a lady your daughter will be,

She can roll in her daubs and her carriages

O'er the green mossy banks of the Lea.

M Mc

Oh the cuckoo is a pretty bird, oh he sings as he flies,

Oh, he bring us fond tidings and he tells us no lies,

Oh he plucks the May flower to make his voice clear

And he never cries cuckoo till the Summer is near.

And if I was in Bunclaudy I would make myself at home,

Oh 'tis there I have sweethearts, and but here I have none.

That's it, I forget it you see.

M Mc

Oh ‘twas early, early in the month of June

When feathered birds they commenced their tune,

Conversing young Napoleon

And considering the bonny bunch of roses 0.

Oh I overspied a fair maid

Who seemed to be in great grief and woe,

Conversing young Napoleon

And considering the Bonny Bunch of Roses 0.

Oh then, son, think on your father,

In St Helena where his body lies low

And you will follow after him,

So beware of the Bonny Bunch of Roses 0.

Oh, he raised a powerful army

And through great dangers he did go,

He lost all the universe

And he gained the Bonny Bunch of Roses 0.

M Mc       I forget the rest of it.

J C.           Did you sell that as a ballad?

M Mc      Yeah, sold it as a ballad, forget it all though

M Mc

One kiss from me you ne'er will see

And one kiss from you will cure me.

Dying or dead, this young one said,

One kiss from you will cure me.

One kiss from me you ne'er will see

'Till your dearly heart lies broken.

M Mc   I forget it you see, Jim.

Oh the night you gave me back my ring,

I really thought it meant the end of everything.

That night that I recall, when tears begin to fall,

That night you gave me back my ring.

It's just a stone, a tiny band of gold,

All in your hand, what joy that ring can hold.

That person kissed and lingered on,

I really can't believe you're gone,

That night that I recall, when tears begin to fall,

That night you gave me back my ring.

Saying, what can I do love, without you?

Each moment turns to smiles.

Oh, your love is never begending

Whenever Spring breaks through the night.

That person kissed and lingered on,

I really can't believe you're gone,

That night that I recall, when tears begin to fall,

That night you gave me back my ring.

M Mc    That's it' there might be another verse.

J C          Can you give us a level, just sing us a verse.

M Mc

Oh one fine Summer's morning I being walking along

Down by a clear river, I heard a fine song.

'Twas sung by a fair maid with her voice low and clear,

And how happy would I be if my true love was here.

M Mc    Will I go ahead?

J C         Will you just start it again Michael, sorry.

M Mc

Oh one fine Summer's morning, we being walking along,

Down by a clear river I heard a fine song,

'Twas sung by a fair maid with her voice low and clear,

And how happy would I be if my true love was here.

Oh we both walked together 'till the sun it shines on,

We both walked together 'till the sun it shined on,

Till the green leaves grow o'er me, nevermore for to close,

And 'til then I'll prove false to my blooming red rose.

-

Oh through mountains and valleys this fair maid did go,

Through mountains and valleys and those hills full of snow,

Through mountains and valleys, oh, this fair maid did go

And 'tis then I'll prove false to my blooming red rose.

Here's a health to all you weavers that weaves in white thread,

Don't rise up in the morning, oh, don't stop too long in bed,

Do not earn white money; spend it foolish like me,

And 'tie then I'll prove false to my gay gal mo chroidhe.

May the bright stars of heaven may darken tonight,

May the bright stars of heaven, oh, show me no light,

May the rocks will split open, nevermore for to close,

And 'tis then I'll prove false to my blooming red rose.

D T.       What I wanted to ask you, there’s a line in that, about weavers is it?

M Mc    Yeah.

D T         What significance has that for you; do you know anything about the song at all that           connects it with weavers?

M Mc    Well, weavers in Ireland, I suppose you know what weavers is Jim?     That was all about weavers long ago like. As far as I know,   the old people'd be telling you like, it was a weaver that fell in love with some girl like, and when all his money was gone she left him again, or something like that1 you know.    There's a bit of a story behind it but I don't know it.

J C         When would you learn that Michael?

M Mc     Oh, when I was a kid, from the old people like1 you know.

J C          Did you ever see that on a sheet, on a song sheet?

M Mc    Yeah, it was on a sheet, but as far as I know, ‘twas my mother got it printed, you know.    She wrote out the verses and left it in and they printed it in the printing office.

J C     That's beautiful, I've never heard that before, that's an absolutely beautiful song.

D T    D'you know the line about, May the stars stop shining and may the rocks split open and never close, and all those kind of pictures, if you like, of things that are never likely to happen.    D'you know any other songs that have got things like that in them?

M Mc   Yes, but trying to think of them is another thing, you know.   Songs that comes into my head there now, sometimes that I didn't even sing them, heard ‘em sung with years, and they come back into my head and I start singing them away to myself.    Maybe if you asked me to sing it tomorrow again, I'd forget it again, like, you know.

J C        Can you think of a name for that?

M Mc   Er, er, what will we say now?    May the bright star of heaven may darken tonight, could be it.

M Mc     

Oh they say America's land looks so wealthy, great and grand,

It's tomorrow we are to part and meet no more,

For if every grain of sand it shone like diamonds in our hand,

It's tomorrow we are to part and meet no more, boys, no more,

For it's tomorrow we are to part and meet no more.

Let us drink our glasses high, let us on this night be gay,

And we'll drink to our success boys, with a tear,

And if every grain of sand it shone like diamonds in our hand,

It's tomorrow we are to part and meet no more boys, no more

M Mc    I'm out of it again now Jim.

J C         That's enough Michael.

M Mc   Tune lilted.

D T      What's that called?

M Mc    The Blackbird,

.M Mc  

            Down by the low, lowland a poor boy did wander,

Down by the low, lowland a poor boy did stray,

For he hadn't got a father or neither got a mother,

For he's a poor little fisherboy that strayed away from home.

M Mc   That's all Jim.

M Mc    Back in Kerry there was a place called Castlemaine, there was a boy and girl and they were courting.    So when they'd make a date at that time ‘twas at the crossroad they'd meet like, up at Jack's house or at the back of Mr Sullivan’s house, wherever ‘twould be.   So bejay, as Paddy came along anyway, he came to this grove of trees that was before like, the place they'd come to have the date.    So he climbed up the tree anyway, and there was a branch coming over the road and he sat on top of the branch to give her a bit of a shock.

So as he saw her coming along in the moonlight anyway, he saw those two fellers anyway, and they coming after her.    So bejey, he was afraid to get down off the tree and he saw them murdering Mary anyway    And they took her inside the hedge anyway and they dug a hole inside the hedge and they buried her.   So he saw everything going on anyway.   

So he was at home the following morning anyway, when he was arrested by the guards and brought in and charged with the murder of Mary.    So while he was on remand I suppose, waiting on time, he made up this riddle inside in the cell, and on, the morning of the court the Judge asked him what he had to say.   

“Well all I have to say, your honour”, he said;

“One moonlight night as I sat so high,

Waiting for one, as two passed by.

The tree did shake and my heart did break

To see the holes that the rogues did make”.

And the very minute he said it, the two fellows was at court and they were sitting in the back seat, they flew out the door with their life.  So the judge watched them and he asked him, what was all that about?

He said, “well”, he said, “that's a kind of riddle I made up inside in the court, now”, he said to the judge, he said, “and they're the two rogues”, he said that’s gone out the door.   

So bejay, the guards was on their tail straight away and they got ‘em and they were charged and tried for the murder of Mary, anyway.

M.Mc     A man by the name of Dan Doran, he sold a donkey to a woman one time, you know, back in Ireland.    So he told her anyway, that he was the best donkey in the parish9 and I have him the last two years and he's the best donkey I ever owned. And you know the way the Travelling people tells lies.   So she owed him some few bob anyway.    He sold her the donkey for about thirty shillings that time and she owed him about ten bob and all she had was the pound.    

So bejay, he rambles around in about six months time to collect his ten bob.

So he goes into the woman of the house and she asked him in to have the tea anyway.    

So Dan sit down and he drinking the tea away at the table and she wasn't mentioning the ten bob, faith.    So he didn't know how way to come around it.    

“Musha”, he said, “how did the donkey ever get on with you”?   

“Ah sure, didn't he die Dan”, says she.

“Never in the world”, he said.   

“Oh, he did indeed”, she says.

“Well begorrah ma'am”, says he, “as long as I had him he never done that on me”.

M Mc  There was another old feller going around then, old Mikey Donoghue, and he was a tinsmith by trade, he used to make tin cans like, and all like that.   

So he goes into a farmhouse anyway, one day, bejay.     The farmer’s wife picked out a couple of half gallons and a couple of quart saucepans and three or four items of tin anyway, that he'd made.

So she put them all up on top of the table anyway, and she said to Mikey, “how much do I owe you now Mikey”? she said.

“Ah, say a pound ma'am”, he said.

“Yarrah, what's wrong with you Mikey”, she said, “aren't they only bits of tin”.    

“Oh sure, that's all ma'am”, he said, “but sure, what's a pound only a bit of paper”.

M Mc   Well, back in Kerry, even to this present day, the Murphys, anybody by the name of Murphy1 they're supposed to be very unlucky fishermen, d'ye know. They never go out of a Friday and they never go out of a Saturday after four o’clock.

The reason why is that there was a Dan Murphy one time, he lived in a place called Filemore.     'tis back where I came from actually, a town called Caherciveen.   

So he goes out of a fine evening, their time for fishing back in this town was five-oclock in the evening.     So Dan was a bit anxious for the money and he hits away about four o'clock.     So he was fishing away near a rock that's out there, I forget the name of the rock now, he was fishing away and he had his nets out and bejay, he found his nets getting very heavy anyway, and he was hauling and hauling and he couldn't lift it in.

So he said, “I've the biggest fish of all times”.    

So bejay, what did he do but he tied it on to the stern of the boat and he oared it away into the shore.   And when he opened the nets, what was inside only a mermaid. He didn't know what to make of it at first.    

“Oh”, she said, she spoke to him, she said, “let me go hack to the sea”, she said, “or I'll curse you for the rest of my life”.    

“Oh”, he said, “I won't leave you go back to sea, you'll never go back to sea”, he said.

Those mermaids, had a tail and, I forget the name of the tail now, but he got the tail off like, he hid the tail inside in the house where he was for years.    

So she was the best housekeeper in the parish.    For years he was married and all, to her, for seven or eight years.  

The shride was the name of the tail.    He'd the shride hid away; there’s a kind of loft back in the old houses long ago, they'd be made out of coarse bags and they'd be whitewashed, and that's where he hid it.   

So bejay, she was quite happy for years and years anyway, but one day wasn't he out fishing again and bejakers, wasn't she poking around, she was whitewashing the ceiling, and what happens but she comes across; I think the shride was the name of it, and didn't she find it.     And the very minute she found it; she’d four children, supposed to be, and away back to sea with her.   

She met Dan out in the boat anyway.   

She said, “Dan, I'm going to save your life”, she said, “because”, she said, “you're the one to look after the four children, but anybody by the name of Murphy”, she said, “that ever go out to sea again”, says she, “I'll drown them”, she said.    “Moreover, a Friday”, she said, “that's the day you caught me and the day is Saturday you hid the shride”; I think that was the name of it; “from four o-clock”.

And a man by the name of Murphy could never go out fishing at four o-clock, he would always have to wait to five o-clock, of a Friday that is, or any day of the week.

But bejay, there was Murphys went out after that, there was two Murphy chaps, cousins of his own, and they went out fishing.    And bejay, whether it was her that did it or not, they found the boat and it turned upside down.   

That's a hundred years ago now, and to this present day a Murphy will never go out fishing of a Friday until after five o’clock.

J C     What did you say the tail was called, a shride?

M Mc    I think it was the shride now, I forget it now, yeah, the shride, I think so now.

M Mc.  'Twas this working man and he was working for this big farmer, so the farmer always kept thoroughbred dogs.

So this rough pup anyway, came like; oh, this is really the truth like; and he told him to take away the pup and drown him because he'd spoil the sale of his valuable pups. So bejay, your man never drownded him, the fellow working there; and he took him to his cottage and he kept him abide there.   

So he used always to be selling turf of a week-end with his donkey and car and he used to go into the town anyway, into Dungarvin, he used to go in there every Saturday with a bale of turf, and the pup used be following him.    He used have the pup tied on to the shaft of the car sometimes.    So he was inside every day.    It went on so the pup kept growing and growing away.   

And weren't they coming home this day anyway, and they were all bragging about a hare that couldn't be caught, he was down in the bog in the back of his house.    So away with your man anyway, the man that owned him, off down the bog someday, one day anyway.

'Jay, he turned the hare and killed him in the first round.

So he brought him the hare with him then, into town, be said, “that's the hare you've all the talk about now”, he said.  So bejay, they though he was trying to give his dog a name, anyway, and they spoke about another hare, and your man was trying to buy the bale of turf off him anyway,    so he was giving him a pound and he wanted twenty-five bob for it.

He said, “I'll bet you the pound against the bale of turf”, he said, “that your dog don't kill the hare”, he said, “that's out in this Red Bog”, they used to call it.   

He said, “you're on, if we can see him”, he said, “he'll kill him”.   

So off they go, the two of them anyway, and out to the Red Bog, and the first round again he got his hare  brought him down so he'd two pound for his bale of turf.   

So that was all right, he started growing and growing anyway, and he started running then in trials and all that was going on.    So that's how he got famous, that’s how Master McGrath got famous; he made a millionaire out of him.   

Did you ever see the monument to him back there now?    He built a monument back there, behind Dungarvin, even now, back on the side of the road. Master McGrath.    'twas in Waterloo here and, you know.

Rose took the first round, according to law,

But the second was taken by Master McGrath.

He was poisoned then, that time, like.    But he made a millionaire out of him, an awful wealthy man.

M Mc                          

Come to me my little cooleen,

Come to me my Indian star,

And we both will live together,

Lovely maid of Mellowbar.

Often times we danced together

In the grand old city hall.

And love songs we sang together

In the coast of Mellowbar.

Often times we sang together

In the grand old city hall

And love songs we sung together,

Lovely maid of Mellowbar.

M Mc   I don't know much of it Jim, that's it all.

M Mc

Oh 'twas early, early in the month of June,

When feathered birds they commenced their tune1

Conversing young Napoleon

And considering the bonny bunch of roses 0.

Oh, I overspied a fair maid,

Who seemed to be in great grief and woe,

Conversing young Napoleon,

And considering the bonny bunch of roses 0.

Oh then, son, think on your father,

In St Helena his body lies low,

And you will follow after him,

So beware of the bonny bunch of roses 0.

Oh, he raised a powerful army,

And through great dangers he did go,

He lost all the universe,

And he gained the bonny bunch of roses 0.

There’s more to it Jim, but I can't think of it, he was overpowered by frost and snow.