This song appears on Volume 18 of the Topic Voice of the People CD series, To Catch a Fine Buck Was My Delight. The singer is Jack Elliott, recorded in Birtley, County Durham, in the early or Mid-1960's - this one recording is the only mention of the song in the Roud Index.
Champion He Was a Dandy
Oh, my name it is Michael McCarthy
And I come from a place of renown.
I'd had a bet with old Timothy O'Flaherty,
That my bulldog would wallop the town.
Now, he told me of one Terence Murphy,
Who lived away out in the bog,
That kept an old black-and tan terrier,
That would murder my twenty pound dog.
Chorus:
Oh, a champion he was a dandy
Till Murphy, the dirty old hog,
Came along with his black-and-tan terrier
And he murdered my twenty-pound dog.
Now, I led out my bold twenty pounder
He looked just as good as a king.
How he eyed that black and tan terrier
As they both sashayed right round the ring.
Now, they fought for an hour and a quarter.
It was away out in the bog.
The terrier he took all the laurels
And a corpse lay my twenty-pound dog.
Chorus
Now, I swore I'd have satisfaction
I offed with my coat and my hat
I made a race for the whole Murphy faction
From big Terence down to little Pat.
Then I made a race for the terrier
And I kicked him way out in the bog,
And all the way home I swore vengeance
Sweet vengeance for my twenty pound dog.
Chorus
There is a recording of part of the song at Voices from the Dust Bowl at the Library of Congress, sung by the postmaster at Visalia, California.
For comparison, here's how the lyrics were posted in another thread:
Thread #18609 Message #350851
Posted By: GUEST,bigJ
28-Feb-00 - 04:13 PM
Thread Name: Req: Champion/o'tooles black and tan terrier has b
Subject: Lyr Add: CHAMPION HE WAS A DANDY
With compliments:-
Champion He Was a Dandy
(As sung by Bob Davenport with the Marsden Rattlers on the 1971 LP on the Trailer label LER 3008)
Me name it is Michael McCarthy, I come from the County of Down,
I'd a bet with one Michael O'Flaherty that me bulldog could murder the town.
I'd heard of one bold Terence Murphy, he lived away out in the bog,
He kept an old black and tan terrier and he swore it could murder me dog.
Chorus
Ohhhhhhh - Champion he was a dandy, 'til Murphy the dirty old hog,
Came along with his black and tan terrier and he murdered me twenty pound dog.
I set off my bold twenty pounder, he looked just as fit as a king,
He sized up the black and tan terrier, as they both chassee'd right round the ring.
They fought for one hour and a quarter, 'till champion slipped in the bog,
Then in stepped the black and tan terrier and a corpse lay me twenty pound dog.
Chorus
I swore that I'd have satisfaction, so I offered me coat and me hat,
And I walloped that whole Murphy faction, from big Terence down to little Pat.
Then I made a bee-line for the terrier, and I kicked it way out in the bog,
And all the way home I thought, Michael, there's revenge for your twenty pound dog.
Chorus