Oh Lord in your mercy be kind to Belfast

Subject: Oh Lord in your mercy be kind to Belfast
From: GUEST,Tom Bolster
Date: 30 Jun 20 - 08:44 AM

This line remains famous from Maurice Craig’s poem on Belfast City Hall, where it concludes each verse as a refrain.
Craig borrowed the line from an earlier rude ballad which, according to Charles Gavin Duffy writing a hundred years earlier, “reduced audiences to-tears”.
Craig traced the earlier ballad at James Joyce’s request but could not delver it before Joyce died. Craig later forgot where.he had found it.
Question: what was the ORIGINAL earlier ballad and where can it be found?

Subject: RE: Oh Lord in your mercy be kind to Belfast
From: Rain Dog
Date: 30 Jun 20 - 10:29 AM

Sir Charles Duffy has recorded his early
recollection of a rude ballad of this description, at the singing
of which he saw a whole dinner company dissolved in tears, and
in which the warm-hearted reception given by Belfast to Wolfe
Tone and the Catholic envoys of 1793 on their way to plead
for the freedom of their faith was thus spoken of :

The Lord in His mercy be kind to Belfast:
The poor Irish exile she soothed as he passed.

Many such things there must have been, many more than
ever found their way into print, and many which were printed
as ¦ ballad sheets and are now lost for ever.


You wonder if Craig ever did find the source of that phrase or not. He certainly liked it enough to use it himself.

Good luck with your search.

Subject: RE: Oh Lord in your mercy be kind to Belfast
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 30 Jun 20 - 06:37 PM

Digital Tradition Mirror image of the "modern" version

Subject: RE: Oh Lord in your mercy be kind to Belfast
From: GUEST,athpar
Date: 02 Jul 20 - 01:24 AM

I heard it sung to the tune of the American "Sweet Betsy from Pike," which may also have used that same Irish ballad's tune originally.

Subject: RE: Oh Lord in your mercy be kind to Belfast
From: leeneia
Date: 03 Jul 20 - 01:03 AM

It helps to know that Belfast is pronounced 'Bell-FAHST.'

Subject: RE: Oh Lord in your mercy be kind to Belfast
From: Thompson
Date: 04 Jul 20 - 12:45 PM

By the way, small picky point - I see that the listing of James Larkin on the site quoted by Ross Campbell, which thanks the Mudcat, the author is given as Donagh McDonagh. The correct spelling is Donagh MacDonagh. There are a couple of other literals - MacDermott and MacDonagh (both Mac not Mc), there's a The when it should be a They, and there's a grante when it should be granted. I may have missed more.