Lyr Add: Darby O'Leary

Subject: Lyr Add: DARBY O'LEARY^^
From: Ezio
Date: 01 May 98 - 10:46 AM

DARBY O'LEARY

One evening of late as I happened to stray
To the County Tipperary I straight took my way
To dig the potatoes and work by the day
for a farmer called Darby O'Leary.

I asked him how far we were bound for to go
The night being dark and the cold wind did blow
I was hungry and tired and my spirits were low
for I got neither whiskey nor water.

The dirty old miser he mounted his steed
To the Galbally mountains he rode in great speed
I followed behind 'til my poor feet did bleed
when we stopped when his old horse was weary.

When we came to his cottage I entered it first
it seemed like a kennel or a ruined old church
Says I to myself I am left in the lurch
in the house of old Darby O'Leary

I well recollect it was Michalmass night
To a ?????? supper he did me invite
A cup of sour milk that was more green than white
And it gave me the trotting disorder

The wet old potatoes would poison the cats
And the barn where my bed was was swarming with rats
The fleas would have frightened the fearless St. Pat
who banished the snakes o'er the border.

He worked me by day and he worked me by night,
while he held an old candle to give me some light
I wished his potatoes would die of the blight
or himself would go off with the fairies.

It was on this old miser I looked with a frown
When the straw was brought in for to make my shakedown
And I wished I had never seen him nor his town
nor the sky above Darby O'Leary.

I've worked in Kilconnel, I've worked in Killmore
I worked in Knoockannie and Shamballamore
In Kalisanaker and Sollahed Moore with farmers so decent and cheery.

I've worked in Tipperary, the Rag and Ross Green
At the mount of Killfegal, the Bridge of Orleans
But such woeful starvation I never yet seen
As I got from old Darby O'Leary

(one word missing in the 5th stanza)

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: Darby O'Leary
From: Barry Finn
Date: 01 May 98 - 12:03 PM

I well recollect it was muckel this night
To a harty good supper he did me invite
With a cup o'r sour milk that would fizz a gas (sp?) snipe

By what he said then, I well understood
That my bed in the barn was not very good
For the blankets were made at the time of the flood
And the quilts & the sheets in proportion

Barry

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: Darby O'Leary
From: Bruce O.
Date: 01 May 98 - 12:15 PM

Anybody have "Larry O'Gaff"? I've only got the 1st line or two, and its rollicking tune, of course.

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: Darby O'Leary
From: Martin Ryan.
Date: 20 May 98 - 05:04 PM

Barry

"that would physic a snipe", oddly enough, is the phrase in your first verse.

I'll check the rest if I can find a set.

Regards

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: Darby O'Leary
From: Martin Ryan.
Date: 20 May 98 - 05:17 PM

This one is usually known as "The Galbally Farmer" and is given in "More Irish Street Ballads" by O'Lochlainn. Doesn't appear to be in the DT.
I'll resist the temptation to correct the spelling of the placenames in Ezio's (good) version - for fear of starting another geographical thread!

Regards

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: Darby O'Leary
From: Barry Finn
Date: 20 May 98 - 06:25 PM

Thanks Martin, at one time it was explained to me what that phrase meant, I no longer have a recollection of the explanation, I was also told it was 'muckle' (good ?) if you know would you re-enlighten me. Thanks, Barry

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: Darby O'Leary
From: Martin Ryan.
Date: 20 May 98 - 08:11 PM

"physic" in this sense menas "give medicine to", basically. As in "physician".

Regards

Subject: darby o leary
From: NOEL
Date: 01 Dec 99 - 04:24 PM

hello im looking for the word's of a song it's called DARBY O LEARY I hope someone can help me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: darby o leary
From: kendall
Date: 01 Dec 99 - 04:32 PM

I recorded that song some years ago for Folk Legacy. The vinal is no longer around, but, you can get a cassette of that and some other rare stuff from Sandy.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: darby o leary
From: Bruce O.
Date: 01 Dec 99 - 04:45 PM

That was FSI-57, Side 1, band 3.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: darby o leary
From: Bruce O.
Date: 01 Dec 99 - 06:17 PM

I don't remember if Kendall sang the song at his concert where I picked up his record. What I do remember is that he told a joke that I'd never heard before, about a sow in a wheelbarrow, and about 3 weeks later, I heard a very different version of the same joke from someone that had never heard of Kendall.

Subject: Lyr Add: DARBY O'LEARY^^
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 01 Dec 99 - 06:24 PM

Unchecked, and I can't remember where I got them from - probably this forum, but I've no idea of the thread any more -, but this is what I have for the Dubliners recording of Darby O'Leary on 'At It Again' (1968):

One evening of late as I happened to stray
To the County Tipperary I straight took my way
To dig the potatoes and work by the day
For a farmer called Darby O'Leary
I asked him how far we were bound for to go
The night being dark and the cold wind did blow
I was hungry and tired and my spirits were low
For I got neither whiskey nor water

The dirty old miser he mounted his steed
To the Galbally mountains he rode in great speed
I followed behind 'til my poor feet did bleed
When we stopped when his old horse was weary
When we came to his cottage I entered it first
It seemed like a kennel or a ruined old church
Says I to myself I am left in the lurch
In the house of old Darby O'Leary

I well recollect it was Michalmass night
To a hearty good (?) supper he did me invite
A cup of sour milk that was more green than white
And it gave me the trotting disorder
The wet old potatoes would poison the cats
And the barn where my bed was was swarming with rats
The fleas would have frightened the fearless St. Pat
Who banished the snakes o'er the border

He worked me by day and he worked me by night
While he held an old candle to give me some light
I wished his potatoes would die of the blight
Or himself would go off with the fairies
It was on this old miser I looked with a frown
When the straw was brought in for to make my shakedown
And I wished I had never seen him nor his town
Nor the sky above Darby O'Leary

I've worked in Kilconnel, I've worked in Killmore
I worked in Knockainy and Shanballymore
In Pallas-a-Nicker and Sollohodmore
With farmers so decent and cheery
I've worked in Tipperary, the Rag and Rosegreen
At the mount of Kilfeakle, the Bridge of Aleen
But such woeful starvation I never yet seen
As I got from old Darby O'Leary

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: darby o leary
From: Barry Finn
Date: 01 Dec 99 - 07:28 PM

I've got a few different lines in here just in case you'd be interested

To the County Tipperary I (straight took my way) or:
I was making me way
A cup of sour milk that (was more green than white) or:
that would fiss a gas snipe (no idea on that meaning just that Mick Maloney told me it was an expression used back home & I don't recall what that expression was trying to express)
He worked me by day and he worked me by night
While he held an old candle to give me some light
I wished his potatoes would die of the blight
Or himself would go off with the fairies. or:
By what he said then I well understood
That me bed in the barn it was not very good
For the blankets were made at the time of the flood
& the quilts & the sheets in (proportion ?)

Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: darby o leary
From: Martin Ryan
Date: 02 Dec 99 - 05:40 AM

That's it! "The Galbally Farmer" is the usual title. I'll check out the placenames later.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: darby o leary
From: Martin Ryan
Date: 02 Dec 99 - 07:16 AM

Barry

For "fizz a gas snipe", read "physic a snipe"! Its the old sense of "give medicine to". Similarly, "whiskey or water" is usually sung as "whiskey or cordial" - in the sense of a restorative drink or tonic. I must say I like the archaic language of the song - gives a nice period feel to it.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: darby o leary
From: Bruce O.
Date: 02 Dec 99 - 02:23 PM

In the notes to his recording, Kendall Morse said he learned it from the Dubliners' recording, whose text is given by Susanne above.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: darby o leary
From: NOEL
Date: 05 Dec 99 - 05:46 AM

thank's to everyone for the text of darby o leary I hope I can do the same for you sometime

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: darby o leary
From: Mad Maudlin
Date: 30 Jan 02 - 03:54 PM

Just went looking for info on this song and cane across this thread...does anyone have an idea of how old the song actually is? It seems to me like early 19th century, but I might be wrong on this.

Thanks!!

Nathali

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: darby o leary
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 30 Jan 02 - 06:57 PM

It might be useful to link this thread to this other.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: darby o leary
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 30 Jan 02 - 08:38 PM

Here's an even older thread. As to the song's age:

[1965:] [The Galbally Farmer] One of the best-known humorous ballads in the South. [...] My father, John O Lochlainn, knew most of it from his childhood in Listrolin near Mullinavat, Co. Kilkenny, but he always sang 'The Gaabally Farmer'. (O Lochlainn II, 214)

This means it was around by the middle of the 19th century, I suppose.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: darby o leary
From: Mad Maudlin
Date: 31 Jan 02 - 11:25 PM

Thank you, Desert Dancer and Susanne!

Nathali