Lyr Req: Freestate Adjudicator (Joe Mulheron)

Subject: Lyr Req: Free State Adjudicator
From: GUEST,Eoin O'Buadhaigh
Date: 15 Oct 13 - 02:07 PM

Would anyone have the words to 'The Free State Adjudicator' a comical ballad composed by Joe Mulherron after the 1980 All Ireland Fleadh in Buncrana, Co Donegal where adjudicator Seamus Duffy lampooned Ulster singers and their style of singing.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Freestate Adjudicator
From: MartinRyan
Date: 15 Oct 13 - 02:21 PM

Oddly enough, it doesn't appear to have found its way here over the years. The words are in Fintan Vallely's book Sing Up! Irish Comic Songs and Satires for every occasion". I'll transcribe or scan when I get a chance.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Freestate Adjudicator
From: MartinRyan
Date: 15 Oct 13 - 02:24 PM

Alternatively, you can transcribe it from this video of the author Joe Mulheron singing it... I reckon I was in the audience that day!

Click here

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Freestate Adjudicator
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Oct 13 - 03:10 PM

I was the singer that Seamus stopped Martin, I was the first Ulster singer up on stage and when he ran the Ulster style down I came off the stage, changed my choice of song to The Bogs of Shanaheever. He had been looking for me on the Friday night to sing it at the concert, not finding me he asked John Rogers (an Ulster singer) to sing it. When I changed the choice of song he laughed and said he had never heard an Ulster singer sing a Galway song before. Joe composed the Free State Adjudicator to the air of The Bogs of Shanaheever.
I have Fintan's book 'Sing up'so I can get the lyrics there, thanks!
By the way they are for Joe Stewart for a girl in Kinvara, how weird is that. ha ha
Thanks again.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Freestate Adjudicator
From: GUEST,Eoin O'Buadhaigh
Date: 15 Oct 13 - 03:12 PM

Sorry Martin, in my hurry I forgot to sign the above
Eoin (you know who)

Subject: Lyr Add: FREESTATE ADJUDICATOR (Joe Mulheron)
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Oct 13 - 04:06 PM

FREESTATE ADJUDICATOR
(Joe Mulheron)

At these oul' gatherings for years well it always makes it weary
For to hear them oul' boys sing them old ballads long and dreary
But my mother said son sing there's nothing would placate her
Little thinking of my fate at the hands of a Free State adjudicator.

Well I practised hard for days songs of love and of Napoleon
Learned that the singer was asked three times the false starts and the loud coughing
I could catch the fear a' ti's eye to stop the diddley dee non braver
Then it's off down to Listowel and the Fleadh Cheoil adjudicator.

In Fermanagh now for years they've been plagued by Paddy Tunney
And Brian Murphy in Forkhill would only sing for the big money
But there's none of them I feared and none of them I favoured
Until I was betrayed by a Free State adjudicator.

He said the Ulster style was wrong and my choice of song was shocking
And my ornamentation nil boys I was going to clock him
This song has been sung by Fenian men the bard John Reilly later
You got that from Christy Moore says the Free State adjudicator.

Up to Dublin he'd been sent for two days intensive training
Buyng Mac Mathuna pints his certificate a gaining
He thought sean nos was the boy who would join the session later
And from Monkstown he emerged an expert adjudicator.

Well the parish priest sung next and I saw my chances fading
And the adjudicator smiled green and brown scapulars round him trailing
And I dropped my carry out my bottle of M
The pioneer pin began to glow on the lapel of the adjudicator.

When Ireland is set free by young men both brave and daring
And Belfast will hold at last a Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann
All informers will be shot every knave and every traitor
And the last song we'll request from all false hearted adjudicators.


from

http://www.itma.ie/inishowen/song/free_state_adjudicator_joe_mulheron

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Freestate Adjudicator
From: MartinRyan
Date: 15 Oct 13 - 05:08 PM

By the way they are for Joe Stewart for a girl in Kinvara, how weird is that. ha ha

Indeed!

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Freestate Adjudicator
From: MartinRyan
Date: 16 Oct 13 - 04:59 AM

And I dropped my carry out my bottle of M

He sings:
"And I dropped me carry-out - the bottle of Buckfast I did break her..."

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Freestate Adjudicator (Joe Mulheron)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 23 Oct 13 - 11:35 PM

You can hear Joe Mulheron singing FREESTATE ADJUCATOR at YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuwy2Pl63Xs

Several lines are different from those posted above, but I'd best not try to transcribe them.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Freestate Adjudicator (Joe Mulheron)
From: MartinRyan
Date: 24 Oct 13 - 06:15 AM

Believe me, Joe is more than capable of improvising on the fly! ;>)>

Great singer and songwriter, he is one of a rich seam, in recent years, of Irish writers of comic songs in a traditional style.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Freestate Adjudicator (Joe Mulheron)
From: MartinRyan
Date: 11 Oct 14 - 09:07 AM

You can hear Joe Mulheron introduce and sing his own song at the The Goilin Song Project:


Click here

Regards