We recorded this from a Kerry Travelelr in London in the 1970s
Jim Carroll

The Herring       (Roud 128)
Rec. from Mikeen McCarthy
                                          
There was an old man who lived in Kenmare,
He used have some herrings and herrings for sale,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
And yet I have more of my song to be sung,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin.

So what do you think they made of his back1
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin.
A fine old man and his name it was Jack,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
Sing herring, sing back, sing man, sing Jack,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
And yet I have more of my song to be sung,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin.

So what do you think they made of his belly,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
A fine old girl and her name it was Nelly,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
Sing herring, sing belly, sing girl sing Nelly,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
And yet I have more of my song to be sung,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin.

So what do you think they made of his head,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
The finest sledge that ever cut stones,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
Sing herring, sing head sing sledge, sing bed,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
And yet I have more of my song to be sung,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin.

So what do you think they made of his teeth,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
The finest chisels that ever cut steel,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
Sing herring, sing teeth, sing teeth, sing steel,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
And yet I have more of my song to be sung,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin1

So what do you think they made of his tongue,
Sing avaro lin, sing avero lin,
The finest spring that ever did sprung,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
Sing herring, sing tongue, sing spring, sing sprung,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
And yet I have more of my song to be sung,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin.

So what do you think they made of his mouth,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
The finest kettle that ever did spout,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
Sing herring, sing mouth, sing kettle, sing spout,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
And yet I have more of my song to be sung,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin.

So what do you think they made of his nose,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
The finest hammer that ever broke stones,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
Sing herring, sing nose, sing hammer, sing stones,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
And yet I have more of my song to be sung,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin.

So what do you think they made of his eyes,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
The finest saucer that ever held spies,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin1
Sing herring, sing eyes, sing saucer, sing spies,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
And yet I have more of my song to be sung,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin.

So what do you think they made of his bones,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
The finest punches that ever punched stones,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
Sing herring, sing bones1 sing punches, sing stones,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin1
And yet I have more of my song to be sung,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin.

So what do you think we made of his tail,
Sing avaro lift, sing avaro lin,
The finest ship that ever sought sail,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
Sing herring, sing tail, sing ship, sing sail,
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin,
And now I have no more of my song to be sung1
Sing avaro lin, sing avaro lin.

This has been claimed by some folklorists to be a corrupt descendant of part of the practice of the sacrificial slaughter of animals, which, in its turn, was said to have replaced the ceremony of appointing a man king for a given period, then killing him and scattering his blood and dismembered parts over the land to ensure a good crop.    The same claim has been made of other songs, such as The Derby Ram, The Mallard and The Wren, though, if this is the case, and there is little evidence to support such claims; they have, as A.L.Lloyd put it, "in the course of the long centuries, lapsed into burlesque".    Such songs have been found all over Britain, Ireland, The United States and Canada, as well as Europe.   In Southern France the victim is the "gentille alouette", or gentle skylark.
More recently "The Herring" was put to far more benign uses.    The cumulative versions of the song were often used as tests of vocal dexterity and memory, "tongue twisters"; for instance, coal miner Jack Elliot of Birtley, County Durham sang;
                                
        Harrin's scales, a ship that sails,
        Herrin's tail, a barrel of ale,
Harrin's belly, a lass caa'ed Nellie,
        Harrin's guts, a pair of byuts (boots),
        Harrin's heid, loaves of breid,
        And aal manner of things.
Of all the fish that live in the sea,
The Harrin' is the one for me.
How are ye the day, how are ye the day,
How are ye the day my hinny O.

The singer who gave it to collector Fred Hamer said that her grandfather used it as a street cry when selling herrings in Buckinghamshire, and in New England, aptly enough in Cape Cod, it was said to have been used as a cradle song by men.
Elsewhere in America and also in a Scots version, the herring is replaced and becomes a pig or sow dying of the measles.

Reference
Journal of The Folk Song Society                 1916
Folk Song In England                                 A L Lloyd
Jack Elliot of Birley                                  LP record
Green Groves                                         Fred Hamer
A Treasury of New England Folklore         B A Botkin.
Miscellanea of The Rymour Club                   Edinburgh 1911 to 1928