Brian O'Higgins (who wrote under the name Brian na Banban i.e. Brian of Ireland) published a booklet of poems and songs in 1907 under the title "The Voice of Banba; Songs and Recitations for Young Ireland". In a frontispiece, he mentions that some of the pieces had been published a few years earlier in a short-run booklet (the title escapes me). I suspect that Moses Ritooralalooralalay was one of those. It was extremely popular, to the extent that O'Higgins has another song in the same book where the air is given as Moses Ritooralalooralalay.

MOSES RITOORALALOORALALAY

A skit on the absurd law relating to Irish names on carts.

The bobby marched on , he was lord of the town
But he suddenly stopped with a snort and a frown
For the name on the dray that stood over the way
Was "Moses Ritooralalooralalay!"

Chorus
Ritooralalooralalay
Ritooralalooralalay
Oh where would you find such a name on a dray
As Moses Ritooralalooralalay

The peeler grew proud, like a hen in a cleeve
And visions came on of a V on his sleeve
"Promotion", he whispered, "I'll try for today
With Moses Ritooralalooralalay"

"Come tell me your name", said the limb of the law
To the little black man settling delph in the straw
"Vat's that? My name sir? 'tis here on the dray
And it's Moses Ritooralalooralalay"

"Well it isn't a legible name, do you mind
And if it is Irish, you'll surely be fined
And then I can look for a rise in my pay
So come with me, Mishter Ritooralalooralalay"

"Oh it's all very fine" said the local J P
"But this thing is too complicated for me
We'll have to get Pether the Packer to say
What he thinks of Ritooralalooralalay"

Well the trial came on and it lasted a week
One judge said 'twas German, another 'twas Greek
"Prove it Irish," said Pether beyond yea or nea
"And we'll sit on Ritooralalooralalay"

At last he grew mad and he glared all around
He looked at the lawyers, they looked at the ground
He brow-beat the jury, but all they could say
Was "Ritooralalooralalay"

Then he turned to the prisoner, as stiff as a crutch
"Are you Irish or English or German or Dutch?"
"I'm a Jew, sir, a Jew that came over to stay
And my name is Ritooralalooralalay"

"We're two of a trade" said the Judge to the Jew
"You pack for a living, I pack for it too
This numbskull has blundered and for it he'll pay"
"Vich is right" said Ritooralalooralalay

There's a sorrowful scavenger sweeps in the street
He once was a peeler, the pride of his beat
He moans all the night and he groans all the day
"Ritooralalooralalay"

Reading the book, O'Higgins comes across as a casual racist, by modern and even not so modern standards. His songs have many unpleasant references to "Jewies" and "coons" – note that in the above, the Jew is black! His main vituperation, however, is reserved for "Shoneens" i.e. Irish people who supported or did not oppose British rule in Ireland.

1.        I know nothing about the Peter the Packer reference – presumably to some well-known judge at the time.
2.        A "cleeve" is a basket for a hatching hen.
3.        There was a significant influx of Jewish immigrants (mainly from Lithuania?) into Dublin in the 1890's, as far as I remember. Many made a living as itinerant peddlers.

As a final irony: In recent months, Irish car owners have found their cars failing the statutory roadworthiness test because the registration plate did not hold the name of the county of registration in the Irish language!

Regards