G'day all,

I see this one is up and running again ... I was chasing the Kate Kearney references as while back to help in dating some verses, possibly by "Frank The Poet" an Irish political convict who came to Australia around 1832.

The poem has a reference to Kate Kearney and this ought to help - if only someone could give me the background on the historical Kate. I know there is a "Kate Kearney's Cottage" where you hire jaunting cars but nobody seems to be able to tell me who she actually was ... and when!

There was also a "Kate Carney" who was involved in a 19th c. band, so that Hohner used to make a series of "Kate Carney's Band" mouthorgans, but this was a false lead. I think I need an Irish historian of the obscure!

Regards,

Bob Bolton