Lyr Req: Dear Old City by the Lee

Subject: Lyr Req: Dear old City by the Lee
From: GUEST,Cookyless Gulliver
Date: 01 Sep 07 - 03:27 PM

Looking for the words of this old Cork song.

Thanks, Don

Subject: Lyr Add: DEAR OLD CITY BY THE LEE
From: masato sakurai
Date: 02 Sep 07 - 07:12 AM

From here.

DEAR OLD CITY BY THE LEE

(Everyone repeat words in brackets).

In that city by the Lee, there's a club so dear to me,
And our colours they are black and blue and white (lily white),
Where we've won and lost and sighed, but we've always kept our pride,
Whether beaten or enjoying victory (victory).
Sunday’s Well, Young Munster too, Garryowen, the Boys in Blue,
We’ve had battles hard and fair for all to see (all to see),
Shannon, Crescent, College, Bohs, Dolphin, Park and 'Field of course,
But to these the Cons will never bend the knee (bend the knee).

CHORUS: And so we say the Cons will win the day.
From 1892 we’re winning still (winning still).
Cups and Leagues we've by the score.
We’ll be back for many more,
So raise your glasses high to Temple Hill (Temple Hill).

In the year of ninety-one, the All Ireland League was won.
It was played for by the best teams in the land
And we said ‘twould be a sin, if that Cup we did not win,
And the feeling when victorious, it was grand (it was grand).
Constitution, if you look, have many records in the book.
The All Ireland League was yet another one (other one).
Internationals, Interpros, we can stand them up in rows,
But the best of Constitution's still to come (still to come).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dear old City by the Lee
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 09:33 AM

Here's another version, at least a fragment of one, found at UpTheDeise.com:

Dear old city by the Lee, what I would not give for thee
Roaming home in your lovely hill and dells (hills and dells!)
Listening to your merry chimes as we did in days gone by
When our hearts were full of liberty (liberty!)
Montenotte and St. Luke's might well attract your looks
Fair Lane, Evergreen and sweet Blackpool (sweet Blackpool!)….

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dear old City by the Lee
From: Gulliver
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 12:10 PM

Thanks folks. The first song above is I believe a rugby football supporters song. The second is the one I'm looking for. Any more verses?

Don

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dear old City by the Lee
From: PMB
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 12:17 PM

I doubt if it's rugby, more likely hurling or Gaelic football, both wild and beautiful games.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dear old City by the Lee
From: MartinRyan
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 12:37 PM

PMB

That first set is a rugby version alright - the names are all Munster teams.

Regards

Subject: Lyr Add: DEAR OLD CITY BY THE LEE
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 02:41 PM

I found these lyrics and notes in a book called "Ballads from the Pubs of Ireland," edited by James N. Healy, Cork: Mercier Press, 1965, reprinted 1980, page 75. No tune is given in this book.

DEAR OLD CITY BY THE LEE
Origin not known.

Dear old city by the Lee,
What I would not give to be
Rolling home by your sunny hills so free,
Listening to the merry chimes
As we did in olden times
When our hearts were full of liberty.

Montenotte and St. Luke's,
They might attract your looks,
Fair Lane, Barrack Street and Evergreen.
There's the Courthouse, Gaol and College:
They teach different sorts of knowledge,
But yet the half of Cork you have not seen.

And also, so they say,
There is the famed Coal Quay.
There's a restaurant there that's famous for pigs' feet,
Where you get a feather bed,
And a fine feed of pig's head,
But don't forget to pay before you leave.

And so we turn our feet
Up to the North Main Street
As we walk up Shandon Street to Sweet Blackpool.
They have medals by the score;
Won eight 'counties' in a row,
And here's to the boys of Sweet Blackpool!

And now before we finish,
We'll have a pint of Beamish.
Murphy and Guinness is good, too;
But I'll never forget the oil
I had with Connie Doyle
The night we won the Junior County Cup!

"This is a song in cheerful praise of the city and its districts, but particularly of Blackpool and its team of hurlers, the Glen Rovers, which for a decade were unbeatable.

"It was certainly written during, or near the end of their period of dominance, probably near the end of the 'forties; I would like to have been able to trace and acknowledge the author, but cannot do so. Beamish and Murphy are the two local brews of stout. Guinness is, of course, made in Dublin."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dear Old City by the Lee
From: Gulliver
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 09:21 PM

Thanks, Jim!

Don