ADD: The Tipperary Christening

Subject: ADD: The Tipperary Christening
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Oct 10 - 04:34 PM

It's been established that "The Tipperary Christening" is not the song requested in the original post in the Day I Was Christened thread. However, since "Tipperary Christening was mentioned (and since I went to quite some trouble to find it before I realized it wasn't the requested song), I thought I'd post it.
It's in a 1901 book called Irish Com All Ye's (by Manus O'Conor) - the complete text of the book is available at Google Books.

THE TIPPERARY CHRISTENING.

It was down in that place, Tipperary,
Where they're so airy, and so contrary,
Where they kick up the devil's figarie,
    When they christened the beautiful boy.
In comes the piper, sot thinking,
And a-winking, and a-blinking,
And a noggin of punch he was drinking,
    And wishing the parents great joy.

When home from the church they came,
Father Tom and old Mikey Branigan,
And scores of as pretty boys and girls
    As ever you'd wish for to see;
When in through the door,
Hogan, the tinker, Lather and Lanagan,
Kicked up a row, and wanted to know,
    Why they wasn't asked to the spree.

Then the boy set up such a-bawling,
And such a-squalling, and caterwauling,
For he got such a mauling,
    Oh, that was the day of great joy.
Then the piper set up such a-moaning,
And such a-droning, and such a-croning,
In the corner his comether was turning,
    When they christened sweet Dennis, the boy.

The aristocracy came to the party,
There was McCarty, light and hearty,
With Florence Berdelia Fogarty,
    Who said that was French for a name;
Dionysius Alphonso Mulrooney,
Oh, so spooney and so looney,
With the charming Evangeline Mooney,
    Of society she was the cream.

Cora Teresa Maud McCann,
Angelina Rocke, and Julia McCafferty,
Rignold Mormon Duke, Morris McGan,
    And Clarence Ignatius McGurk;
Cornelius Horatio Flaherty's wife,
Adolphus Grace, and Dr. O'Rafferty,
Eva McLaughlin, and Cora Muldoon,
    And Brigadier-General Burke;

They were dancing the polka-mazurka,
'Twas a worker, not a shirker,
And a voice of Vienna, la Turker,
    And the polka-redowa divine;
After dancing, they went in to lunching,
Oh, such munching, and such crunching,
They were busy as bees at a lunching,
    With their coffee, tea, whisky, and wine.

They had all kinds of tea, they had Shosong,
They had Ningnong, and Drinkdong,
With Oolong, and Boolong, and Toolong,
    And teas that were made in Japan;
They had sweetmeats, imported from Java,
And from Youver and from Havre,
In the four-masted steamer "Manarver,"
    That sails from beyond Hindoostan."

Cold ice-cream, and cream that was hot,
Romeo punch, snowball, and sparrowgrass,
Patty D. Foy, whatever that means,
    Made out of goose-liver and grease;
Red-headed duck, salmon, and peas,
Bandy-legged frogs, Peruvian ostriches,
Bottled noix, woodcock, and snipe,
    And everything that would please.

After dinner, of course, there was speaking,
And hand-shaking, and leave-taking,
In the corners, old mothers match-making,
    And other such innocent sins;
Then they bid a good-by to each other,
To each mother, and each brother;
When the last rose, I thought I would smother,
    When they wished the next would be twins.

Subject: RE: ADD: The Tipperary Christening
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 30 Oct 10 - 06:01 PM

I like that one. Never come across it. A bit like Finnegan's Wake without the violence. Any ideas for the tune?

Something wrong with that second verse. To make it singable I'd bet it should start:

When home from the church they came in again,
Father Tom and old Mikey Branigan...

Subject: RE: ADD: The Tipperary Christening
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 30 Oct 10 - 06:23 PM

Puts me to mind of an old Stanley Holloway recitation
The Christening (from RG memory--hope I get it all right)

In faith,'twas as fine an affair as you'd want
Such a crowd at the gate, such a fuss at the font
And even the quality wan't ashamed
To come to the church when the baby was named.

There was Mrs. O' Rourke and the widow McBride
And both the McCarthy's and hundreds beside
All watching and listening---Oh what a christening
You'll not see another like that for a time.

Then Father McBride, took the baby, says he,
"Sure, Mrs. O'Connor, It's proud I will be
To be naming the baby of yours and I'll state
A powerful, grand-looking man he will make.

"Is it Seamus you'll call him? Or Patrick? Or Mick?
Sure Mrs. O'Connor, come answer me quick
Perhaps it's himself will grow up to be great
You must give him a name that will match his estate"

Says Mrs. O'Connor, "Beg pardon, your honour
But we had been thinking of naming her her Kate.

Subject: RE: ADD: The Tipperary Christening
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Oct 10 - 07:38 PM

Sorry, Kevin - the two most credible versions of the song that I found, both begin the second verse with "When home from the church they came," with no augmentation to correct meter or rhyme.

Here's the other version, from Ossian's Ballads from the Pubs of Ireland, Volume 1, by James N. Healy (pp 16-17). It's not in Healy's Mercier Press book that bears the same title.

THE TIPPERARY CHRISTENING

It was down in that place, Tipperary,
Where they're so airy, and contrary,
They cut up the divil's figary,
When they christened my beautiful boy.
When home from the church they came
With Father Tom and big Micky Brannigan
Scores of as purty boys and gerls
As ever you'd ax for to see
When baby set up such a squalling
And such a bawling and caterwauling
And the nurse on the mother was calling
There was a time 'mon um gay joy. (last line partly illegible)

In the corner the piper sat winkin,
And a-blinkin, and a-thinkin,
And a naggin of punch he was drinkin,
And wishing the parents great joy.
In flew the door and Hogan the tinker
And lathering Lanigan
Kicked up a row and wanted to know
Why they weren't axes to the spree.
And the piper his chanter was droning,
And a-groaning and a-moaning,
The old woman set up the croaning
When they christened sweet Danny the boy.

Th' aristocracy came to the party,
There was M'Carty, light and hearty,
Wid Florence Bidalia Fo-garty,
(She says that's the French for her name).
Dionaysius Alphonso Mulrooney,
Oh! so loony and so spoony,
Wid the charming Evangeline Mooney,
Of society she was the crame.
Cora Teresa Maud M'Cann.
Algeron Rourke and Lulu M'Cafferty,
Reginald Marmaduke Maurice Megan,
Clarence Ignatius M'Gurk.
Cornelius Horatio Flaherty's son,
Adelaide Grace and Doctor O'Rafferty,
Eva M'Loughlin, Cora Muldoon, and Brigadier-General Burke.
They were dancing the polka mazurka,
'Twas a worker ne'er a shirker.
The varsovianna la turker,
And the polka row-dow was divine.
They marched and then went in to luncheon,
O, such punchin', and such scrunchin',
They were busy as bees at the munchin',
Wid coffee, tay, whisky, and wine.

There was all sorts of tay, there was Schowchong,
And there was Ningyong, and there was Dingdong,
With Colong, and Toolong, Boolong,
And tay that was made in Japan,
There was sweetmeats imported from Java,
And from Guavre, and from Harve,
In the four-masted ship the Minarva,
That came from beyant Hindostan,
Cowld ice-creams and creams that was hot,
Roman punch froze up in snowballs and sparagrass,
'Patte de foi gras,' whatever that manes,
Made out of goose livers and grease.
Red-headed ducks wid salmon and peas,
Bandy-legg'd frogs and Peruvian ostriches,
Bottle-nosed pickerel, Woodcock and snipe,
And ev'rything else that would plaze,
After dinner, of course, we had spaking,
There was handshaking, there was leave-taking,
In the corner ould mothers matchmaking,
Wid other innocent sins.
And we drank a good health to each other,
Then to each brother, then to each mother,
But the last toast I thought I would smother,
When they hoped that the next would be twins.


The tunes in the Ossian books are often not quite right. I had to adjust the meter of this to make it work, and I'm still not completely happy with it.

---

Click to play

Subject: RE: ADD: The Tipperary Christening
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 31 Oct 10 - 10:55 AM

I tend to regard printed sources with a degree of scepticism.

The crucial thing with words is whether they are singable or not...

Subject: RE: ADD: The Tipperary Christening
From: GUEST,Airto
Date: 22 Aug 13 - 04:14 PM

The explanation for the second verse not seeming to scan right is that the song alternates two separate melodies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Ci6mPYpgU

I have a version on tape by the Thunder Brothers. They sing it much faster, using two singers in relay to maintain the tempo.

In any case it's a gem of a song

Subject: RE: ADD: The Tipperary Christening
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 28 Dec 20 - 04:08 PM

I learnt this song many years ago from a recording of my great uncle singing it in about 1961.

Many years later, but many years ago now, I heard a performance by someone else, which seemed to me to stop half way through.

I no longer have all of it in my head, but I have just come across, and digitised, the tape. I may or may not get around to re-learning it.

Anyway a quick Google has found me this thread, where the versions posted above are likewise only half of what my great uncle sang. So I suppose I ought to post the second half.

Watch this space.

Subject: RE: ADD: The Tipperary Christening
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 28 Dec 20 - 06:34 PM

This set of words is as sung by my great-uncle Lionel Mellish, about 1961. Some rustling of paper is audible. He may only have been using written words as a reminder, but I suspect he was reading all of them, despite which there are some differences from the versions above, besides the extra stuff at the end.

'Twas down in the place, Tipperary,
Where they're so airy, and so contrary,
They cut up the Devil's figary,
When they christened sweet Danny the boy.
In the corner the piper sat winking,
And a-blinking, and a-thinking,
And of noggin a punch they were drinking,
And wishing the parents great joy.
When home from the church they came
With Father, son and big Micky Brannigan
Scores of pretty boys and girls
As ever you'd wish for to see
When in flew the door on Hogan and Tinker
And lathering Lanigan
Kicked up a row and they wanted to know
Why they were not asked to the spree.

Then the baby set up such a squawling,
And such a bawling, and caterwauling,
The nurse and the mother were calling
It was a [trememengo joy]
And the piper his chant was a-toning,
And a-moaning, and a-droning,
The old women set up such a groaning
When they christened sweet Danny, the boy.

Now the aristocracy came to the party,
There was McCarty, tight and so hearty,
With Florence Berdelia Fogarty,
She said that's the French for her name;
Dianosius Alonso Macrooney,
Oh so looney and so spooney,
With the charming Evangeline Mooney,
Of society she was the cream.
Cora Teresia Morgan(?) McCann,
Algernon Rourke, and Luna(?) McCafferty,
Reginald Marmaduke, Morris McDuff,
And Clarence Ignatius McGurk;
Cornelia Horatio Flafferty's son,
Adaline Grace, and Dr. O'Rafferty,
Even McLaughson, Colonel Muldoon,
And Brigadier-General Burke;

They were dancing the polka-mazurka,
'Twas a worker, ne'er a shirker,
The Varsoviana, la Turker,
And polka-redowa divine;
Then they marched and they went in to luncheon,
Some of them munching, oh what a scrunching,
They were busy as bees at their lunching,
With coffee, tea, whisky, and wine.

Now they had all kinds of tea, they had Shooshong,
They had Boolong, they had Dingdong,
With Oolong, and Boolong, and Hoolong,
And tea that was made in Japan;
They had sweetmeats, imported from Java,
And from Guava(?) and from Hava(?),
In the four-masted ship The "Minarva,"
That sailed from beyond Hindustan."

Cold ice-cream, and cream that was hot,
Roman punch froze up in snowballs and sparrowgrass,
Pâté de foie gras, whatever that means,
Made out of goose-livers and grease;
Red-headed ducks, with salmon and peas,
Bandy-legged frogs and Peruvian ostriches,
Bottlenose(?), pickereel(?), woodcock, and snipe,
And everything else you could please.

After dinner, of course, they had speaking,
And hand-shaking, and leave-taking,
In the corners old mothers match-making,
And other such innocent sins;
And they drank a good health to each other,
And to each brother, and to each mother;
And the last toast I thought I would smother,
When they hoped that the next would be twins.

Now the folks were all leaving all smiling,
All beguiling, sweet kisses piling.
When suddenly Mikey O'Reilly
He trod on Kitty's gown tail.
And all at once there was such a commotion
Upset the lotion, mixed like a potion.
You'd have thought that he'd sat in the ocean,
When O'Rafferty sat in the pail.
And up jumped Makinskey O'Rourke,
Danced on the chest of Father O'Flanagan,
Slammed the hostess in the eye
With the knob on the end of his boot.
They fought and tore 't each other's clothes
Fell in the pigsty, got up and began again
Down came the chimney piece
And smothered the party with soot.

The the girls they set up such a howling
Screaming and scowling, jowling and browling.
The poor piper he got such a towelling,
Because he had nothing to say.
Then in came the neighbours inciting
Led(?) to more fighting, kicking and biting.
And I'll take a rare lot of inviting
To be there the next christening day.

In an hour the row it was ended.
Limbs had to be mended, backbones unbended.
Mick said that it wasn't intended,
What he did was an accident quite.
Then they all commenced sobbing and sighing,
Snivelling and crying, piping their eye-ing.
You'd have thought the whole was a-dying.
Sure faith was a pitiful sight.
Broken noses and eyes of black.
Ankles put out and fractures discovering.
Rafferty hadn't a shirt to his back,
For they'd used it to mop up the floor.
The doctor came with bandages long,
Splints he put on and he charged half a sovereign,
O'Rafferty said that he thought was too much
So they chucked him right out of the door.

Then they recommenced drinking and smoking,
Jesting and joking, whiskey a-soaking.
There were one or two very provoking
To charming Miss Biddy Molloy.
At the finish they all went home blaring,
Flaming and flaring, stamping and swearing.
And they'll never get me to take sharing,
The next time that they christen the boy.

Subject: RE: ADD: The Tipperary Christening
From: GUEST,JohnBaxter
Date: 07 Mar 24 - 11:36 AM

It was originally written by Dan Maguinnis (the spelling of his surname varies) an actor based in Boston (Massachusetts, USA) who specialised in comic Irish roles. In early printings his song was sometimes given the full title The Irish christening at Tipperary.
The Tipperary Christening

Subject: RE: ADD: The Tipperary Christening
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 10 Mar 24 - 05:00 PM

The link posted by John Baxter (who knows a thing or two about music hall and related genres) goes to a version close to those earlier in this thread, ending with everyone going home after the party and without the fight. So where did my great uncle's second half come from? Did Maguinnis add that later? If so, why have most sources forgotten it?