Interesting to revisit a discussion of Dicey Riley (or Reilly) after several years. (Also interesting that Susanne came up with my post from 1999!) (Hi Susanne! Nice to know you're still here.) (Have I been away THAT long?)

I remain convinced that "heart of the roll (rowl)" a reference to the heart of a roll of tobacco being the finest quality (tobacco was packaged in rolls in those times and the leaves in the center - heart - were of the best quality) is the most meaningful (correct?) phrase. To speak of Dicey as being "the heart of the row", meaning a row of homes or apartments, is rather meaningless, as is using the word "rule". I think the use of "rowl" or roll, is pretty obvious and have no doubt that this was the original reference. As JTT says, "To say someone's the heart of the roll means they're a great person, genuine and straight, in Dublin." -- a person to be admired even though she's taken to the "slop".

I learned "taken to the slop" (meaning she's taken to drinking heavily) which also makes sense in the context of the song. "Sup" rhymes a little better, but when do folk songs worry about exact rhymes? And what would it mean? She's suddenly taken up eating? Unless someone more familiar with Dublinese slang comes up with an appropriate slang meaning of "sup", I'll stick to "slop".

On the other hand, The Reivers always sang, "It's off each morning to the Hop" which we interpreted as the name of a pub. Ferrara has convinced me that the correct word should be "pop" since it was Dublinese for pawn shop. That makes complete sense. She goes to pawn something to get money to "go in for another little drop." So I'll use "pop" from now on.

We sang "She walks along Fitzgibbon Street" -- not "Fitzwilliam Street, as someone had it earlier in this thread. (I think we got this from a Dubliner's recording.) Does anyone know the streets of Dublin well enough to know if there is, in fact, a Fitzgibbon Street? I know there is a Fitzwilliam St., and wonder if that might be correct. Anybody know? Also is there a "Summerhill" Street in the same vicinity? I learned the line as "Up along by Summerhill", but the only print copy I have says "Then it's down to Summerhill."
Someone help here. Would Summerhill be "up" or "down" from Fitzgibbon St. (if, in fact, either exists) or from Fitzwilliam St.?

When I was in Ireland in 2001 (yes, arriving there on Sept. 11 - honest to God), I bought a set of 4 songbooks, "Folksongs & Ballads Popular in Ireland." Vol. III has Dicey Riley, but give no name for an author. A note in the back says only, "A good example of how Dublin wit and subtlety can turn the usually touchy subject of female alcoholics into an acceptable folksong. The heart of the 'rowl' (roll), more than likely refers to a roll of tobacco which Dicey chewed."

We only sang two verses and repeated the first (always sang it as the second part of a medley along with "All For Me Grog", which I think we learned from the Dubliners), but the book includes a third:

She owns a little sweetshop at the corner of the street.
And every evening after school I go to wash her feet.
She leaves me there to mind the shop,
While she nips in for another little drop,
Ah, the heart of the rowl is Dicey Riley.

I kind of like the extra verses Carol C. posted, which are new to me.
I think I'll add them to my Reivers collection in case we ever get together again! (Hope springs eternal!)

Reiver 2