One of the songs of Shaun O'Nolan which has actually been passed on is If You Ever Go Over To Ireland, about a returned Yankee being tricked out of his money.

Margaret Barry recorded it for Bill Leader in 1955, which was issued on Topic Records. She was also recorded in a live performance at the Bedford Arms in Camden Town, accompanied by Michael Gorman on fiddle, in about 1960 by Ralph Rinzler for Folkways.

IF YOU EVER GO OVER TO IRELAND

If you ever go over to Ireland, now then take a tip from me,
Close your mouth and open your eyes and don't you make so free,
You'll find the colleens over there are not so green at all
For one of them made a fool of me way down in Donegal.

And he took her under his oxter, he was walking down the lane,
She says, "Now don't get funny, or if you do I'll scream."
He gave her a wink, and what do you think, she right away got sore,
And she scratched his nose and tore his clothes in the town of Oranmore.

Oh then he went over to Galway to the town of Oranmore,
And there he met a lassie, a maid [by name Gilmore?],
She says, " Hello there stranger, I never saw you before,
And we don't like tramps or hoboes in the town of Oranmore."

And he took her under his oxter, he was walking down the lane,
She says, "Now don't get funny, or if you do I'll scream."
I gave her a wink, and what do you think, she right away got sore,
And she scratched me nose and tore me clothes in the town of Oranmore.

Oh he then went over to Dublin to that city of great fame,
Walking down O'Connell Street he met a homely dame,
She says, "Hello there Yankee, I never saw you before,
Are you far from home, your dear old home in dear old Dublin town?"

And he took her under his oxter, he was walking down the street,
She says , "I'm awful hungry, now what are we going to eat?"
He took her into Cleary's, the great shop of renown,
And upon me soul, she swiped his nose* in dear old Dublin town.

*'she swiped his nose' - sometimes sung as 'she stole me (bank)roll'

There is also a performance of the song on YouTube by Brendan Shine.

Matthew Edwards