The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #54880 Message #851852
Posted By: GUEST,Q
21-Dec-02 - 04:51 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: The Rover from Claudy
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE ROVER FROM CLAUDY
Second part- help with locality names (and other corrections) would be appreciated. Printing in this broadsheet is poor and hard to read.
The girls of Clones, and likewise Cootehill(?), When I went to Monaghan mourned their fill; Then to Castleblaney and Carrickmacross, For a good ready penny I was ne'er at a loss; The poteen in bottles they to me did fill, As stout as it came from the eye of the still,- Saying Rover from Cloudy I pray you step forth, We long for to treat the stout plant of the north.
I took a new ramble to lovely Kingscolt, Where an old buxom widow to me did resort, She swore by her conscience if with her I'd stay, She never would part me till her dying day; Abundance of wealth she would on me bestow, Invited me with her one night for to go, Her pipe and tobacco she from her did fling, She cries O! the cudgel from Claudy's the thing.
Through Kells, Trim and Naven & Drogheda town, Ardee and Dundalk then I took a full round, And coming to Nerry, there I happened to spy, A nice comely damsel they called Fanny-Eye. Into Castlewillan my course I made good, Where I met a damsel in a merry mood, She spoke to me kindly and told me her want, How much she desire'd the Cloudy man's plant.
Through Ballynahinch to Downpatrick I pass'd, And coming by Saintfield (?) I arrived in Belfast, Lisborn, Hillsborough and likewise Dromore, The girls did treat me to liquor galore, Through Hamilton ---- to Armagh I did come And down by Dungannon I safely got home, Yet by all the fine places that e'er I did stray, The stout Claudy plant bore the laurel away.
Linster in the first verse- Big Tim is correct. I'm sure that my attempts to read some of the names are wrong. In the last verse I have left one name or word out. The Limerick Rake (also called the Rake of Rathkeal in one broadside, shown side-by side in Johnson Ballads 3228) in the Bodleian collection is similar in theme, as noted by guest JEL. By the dates in the Bodleian, it seems to be a later song.