Humorous Songs
The Deluge in Cahersiveen 1924
This song appeared on the front page of the newspaper ‘The Liberator’ on the 23 February 1924. At the time the composer went under the pseudonym, Mick McQuaid “Crow’s Nest” Barr na Srada,(Sráide), Caherciveen,
Amhrán seoigh agus magaidh é seo ó Dhairbhre. Baineann sé le beirt deirféar ar an oileán a bhíodh ag bearradh agus ag marú a chéile mar gheall ar fhear. B’é Seán Ó Siochrú, file a bhí ar an oileán, an fear a bhí i gceist. Tadhg Ó Murchú a bhailigh an t-amhrán seo ó Nóra Bean de Búrca, ón gComhartha Beag, sa bhliain 1936. Chuir Tadhg Ó Murchú nóta leis an amhrán ina ndeir sé go ndúirt Nóra leis, faoi rún, gur beirt deirféar des na Smiths ab ea ‘Síle’ agus ‘Bríde.’ B’é Seán féin an Cladhaire Bull.
This is humourous song from Valentia. It describes two sisters fighting ferociously with one another over a man. Seán Ó Siochrú, a poet on the island, was the man in question. In the song the poet describes himself as a big strong bull providing a service for both Síle and Bríd. He describes the care and attention he recieves from the women and the arguments he causes between them. Tadhg Ó Murchú collected the song from Nóra Bean de Búrca from Coarha Beg in 1936. In a note accompanying the song Tadhg says that Nóra revealed to him that the ‘Bríd’ and ‘Síle’ referred to in the song were in fact sisters by the name of Smith. Seán himself was the Cladhaire Bull.
Amhrán seoigh a cumadh faoi stáca coirce a chuaigh ar iarraidh ar fheirmeoir i bparóiste na Priarachta. Seán Ó Duinn ón gCinn Aird ab ea é. San amhrán deineann sé cur síos ar an bpreab a baintear as nuair a eiríonn sé amach agus gan tásc ná tuairisc le fáil ar a staicín coirce. Measann sé gur scuabadh Bá na Scealg amach é le linn tuile. Tá cur síos ann ar na háiteanna ar fad a bhain sé amach agus é ar thóir an staicín – Caisleán Bhaile an Sceilg, An Neidín, Loch an Choinleáin, Gairinis, Oileán Baoi, Baile Chaisleán Bhéarra, Carraig Lomáin, An Daingean agus Abhainn an Scáil. Ní fios cé chum (mura b’é Seán Duinn féin a chum!).
A humourous song about a stack of oats which went missing in the parish of Prior. The stack belonged to Seán Duinn from Kinard. The song describes Seán’s disappointment when he discovers his stack of oats is missing. He initially believes it has been washed in to Ballinskelligs Bay during an overnight flood. The song describes him searching far and wide for the stack, bringing him to places like Ballinskelligs Castle, Kenmare, Garinish, Dursey, Castletownbere, Lemon Rock, Dingle, Annascaul and Valentia. Its composer is unknown.
This song derives from a speech in which Daniel O'Connell referred to the railways. He is quoted as saying ‘the steam engine would be the making of the Irish nation.’ Suspicion and a lack of understanding of the nature of steam power among the country folk is exploited by the tinker in this ballad. Steam power was a popular subject amongst the ballad makers. An 1875 Broadside ballad mentions a song hatching chickens by steam. In Jonathan Swift's satirical "A Modest Proposal" it is suggested that Irish babies be bred as food for the English.
Roderic Ó Dálaigh, file mór le rá sa 19ú haois a chum an t-amhrán seoidh seo. Bhí dreifiúr de Roderick pósta ag duine des na Bocánaibh – treibh de mhuintir Shúilleabháin a chónaigh i bparóiste na Dromad. D’fhág an Bocánach a bhean agus d’éalaigh sé le bean éigin eile. Ní ró-shásta a bhí Roderic faoin scéal agus chum an t-amhrán searbhasach seo. Bhailigh Tadhg Ó Murchú an t-amhrán i 1939 ó Dhónall “an Chasúir” Ó Súilleabháin (54 bliain d’aois). Bhí cónaí ar Dhónall i gCaipín Cláraigh ag an am, ach gur rugadh agus tógadh i mBun an Doirín é, i bparóiste na Dromad.
This humorous song was composed by Roderic Ó Dálaigh, a famous poet of the 19th century. Roderic’s sister was married to a man from a branch of the O’Sullivan clan in Dromaid known as Na Bocáin. To the poet’s disgust, O’Sullivan unexpectedly deserts his wife, eloping with another woman. The poet is extremely critical of O’Sullivan, comparing him to a wandering puck goat and advising those that might catch him to tie him to a post and stone him! The song was collected by Tadhg Ó Murchú in 1939 from Dónall “an Chasúir” Ó Súilleabháin (54 years of age). Dónall lived in Caipín Cláraigh but was originally from Bun an Doirín in paróiste na Dromad.
The Deluge in Cahersiveen 1930
As in the previous song the composer is using the Nom de plume ‘Mick McQuaid’. It would appear from the following lines that little has been done to rectify the drainage system in Caherciveen since the events of 1924. Although some of the characters have changed the sentiment remains the same.
seoigh é seo faoi thine a lasadh i gcoill i bparóiste na Priarachta ar a dtugtaí Coill Bhrennan. Tá sé le tuiscint ón amhrán go raibh fir agus mná óga i mbun cúirtéireachta sa choill. Bhí deoch mheisciúil á n-ól acu agus nuair a chuadar ar meisce tugadh tine don gcoill trí thimpist. Do chuaigh sé dian orthu an tine a cheansú agus í mhúchadh. San amhrán deintear cur síos greannmhar ar an bhfiosrúchan a lean an loisceadh. Deirtear gurb é Mícheál Ó Móráin ó Sosa i bparóiste na Priarachta a chum an t-amhrán.
A humorous song which describes a fire that went out of control in ‘Brennan’s wood’ in the parish of Prior. The song tells of a group of young men and women who were courting in the wood. They were also drinking alcohol and when they became drunk a fire was started accidently. They had great difficulty in bringing it under control. The song recounts the burning of the wood, but also the subsequent investigation as to what caused the fire is described in a humorous manner.
This song comes from the collection of Matt Joe O’Neill from a recording he made circa 1965 on a Grundig reel to reel machine. The singer was Thady O’Sullivan of Killurly East. The song refers to the times of the troubles circa 1920-23. There were incidents of trains being sabotaged. As a result of this the continued supply of staples like flour and meal could not be guaranteed. This caused a shortage and subsequently prices rose locally.
(In the spring of 1906, an instructress was sent by the Kerry County Council to give a cookery course in Cahirciveen. She was a native of Munster, but she would not allow her intending pupils to sign their names in Irish on the register, and when they refused to give a meaningless English translation of the names they had always borne, she became enraged and insulted them, with the result that fourteen Cáiliní left the class-room. The instructress was soon afterwards removed to another district and was ordered by the County Council to take the names of the pupils in future in Irish whenever they were submitted to her .This song was first published in ‘Voices of Banba 1907.’
Amhrán grinn a cumadh fé fhear gur sciobadh na bróga uaidh tar éis do iad a fhágaint ar bharra na trá. Péire fíor-ghalánta ab ea iad de réir an amhráin, agus deintear mion-chur síos ar an gcuardach a dhein sé agus é ar a dhícheall ag iarraidh iad a aimsiú. Bhíodh an t-amhrán seo le clos go forleathan i nDairbhre sa chéad leath den aois seo caite. Do bhailigh Tadhg Ó Murchú dhá leagan de sa bhliain 1936: ceann ó Nóra ‘Joe’ Bean de Búrca (67 bliain), bean feirmeora, a raibh cónaí uirthi ar an gCois, ach a rugadh ar an gComhartha Beag; agus an tarna leagan ó Máire Bean Thaidhg Pheaidí Uí Chrochúir, 82 blian. Bhí cónaí ar Mháire i gCrádh ach a rugadh agus tógadh í ar an gComhartha Beag i nDairbhre chomh maith.
A humorous song about a man who had his shoes stolen from where he had left them on the beach. In the song the shoes are described as being a very elegant pair, made from the finest leather and silk. The song recounts the extensive search undertaken by the hapless victim in trying to relocate the stolen shoes. This song seems to have been extremely popular on Valentia during the first half of the last century. Tadhg Ó Murchú collected two versions of the song in 1936. One was provided by 67 year old Nóra ‘Joe’ Bean de Búrca. At that time she resided in Knightstown, but she had been born in Coarha Beg. The second version was collected from Máire Bean Thaidhg Pheaidí Uí Chrochúir, 82 years of age, who was also born in Coarha Beg.