KELLIGREW'S SOIREE
(J. Burke)

You may talk of Clara Nolan's ball
Or anything you choose,
But it couldn't hold a snuffbox to the spree at Kelligrew's.
If you want your eyeballs straightened
Just come out next week with me
And you'll have to wear your glasses
At the Kelligrew's Soiree.

CHORUS
There was birch rine, tar twine, Cherry wine and turpentine,
Jowls and cavalances, ginger beer and tea
Pig's feet, cat's meat, dumplings boiled in a sheet
Dandelion and crackies' teeth
At the Kelligrew's Soiree.

Oh, I borrowed Cluney's beaver,
As I squared my yards to sail;
And a swallow-tail from Hogan
That was foxy on the tail;
Billy Cuddahie's old working pants
And Patsy Nolan's shoes,
And an old white vest from Fogarty
To sport at Killegrew's.

CHORUS:
There was Dan Milley, Joe Lilly,
Tantan and Mrs. Tilley,
Dancing like a little filly;
'Twould raise your heart to see.
Jim Brine, Din Ryan, Flipper Smith and Caroline;
I tell you boys, we had a time
At the Kelligrew's Soiree.

Oh, when I arrived at Betsy Snook's
That night at half past eight,
The place was blocked with carriages
Stood waiting at the gate.
With Cluney's funnel on my pate
The first words Betsy said:
"Here comes a local preacher
With a pulpit on his head.”

CHORUS:
There was Bill Mews, Dan Hughes,
Wilson, Taft, and Teddy Roose,
While Bryant he sat in the blues
And looking hard at me;
Jim Fling, Tom King,
And Johnson, champion of the ring,
And all the boxers I could bring
At the Kelligrew's Soiree.

The Saratoga Lancers first,
Miss Betsy kindly said:
Sure I danced with Nancy Cronan
And her Grannie on the "Head";
And Hogan danced with Betsy
Oh you should have seen his shoes!
As he lashed old muskets from the rack
That night at Kelligrew's.

CHORUS:
There was boiled guineas, cold guineas,
Bullocks heads and picaninies
And everything to catch the pennies,
You'd break your heart to see;
Boiled duff, cold duff, apple jam was in a cuff;
I tell you, boys, we had enough
At the Kelligrew's Soiree.

Crooked Flavin struck the fiddler
And a hand I then took in;
You should see George Cluney's beaver
And it flattened to the rim.
And Hogan's coat was like a vest --
The tails were gone, you see.
Says I "The devil haul ye
And your Kelligrew's Soiree!"

This is a popular Newfoundland folk song written by Johnny Burke in the 1920's, closely based on an older New York Irish song called "The Irish Jubilee", which documents a similar party and lists the guests and bill of fare. This version of The Kelligrew's Soiree comes from "Old Time Songs of Newfoundland,” 1955 edition.

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Kelligrew's Soiree (with MIDI) in the DT