The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #14922   Message #823776
Posted By: Robin
11-Nov-02 - 07:58 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: The Night Before Larry Was Stretched
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Night Before Larry Was Stretched
Joe F asks, "What's a Kilmainham look?"

Carpenter has a notE:

"
A Kilmainham look is a contemptuous look such as felons about to be executed might give to the clergy attending them. Kilmainham Gaol, west of Dublin, was the place of execution of felons from County Dublin. Until 1783, Dublin city criminals (like Larry) were executed either at a site between present-day Upper Fitzwilliam Street and Lad Lane or at St Stephen's Green.
"

Carpenter follows Larry in his anthology with "Luke Caffrey's Kilmainham Minit" and "A New Song call'd Luke Caffrey's Gost".

(A text of "LC's KM" [close to but not identical with the version in Carpenter] can be found in +Ireland Sixty Years Ago+ here

Robin