The text in Sam Henry's Songs of the People (University of Georgia Press, 1990, p.31) is a collation from three unidentified sources; one presumably would be William Sloan of Dundooan (formerly Bushmills) who provided the tune. Henry's notes attribute authorship of the song to James Sloan of Topland, Ballyrock, c.1770, and further comment:

"An 18th-century hunting song supposed to have been written by the hare... The song must have been written about 1770. Its author['s]... great grandchildren are still in the district. The version given above is based on three renderings, and is, I believe, complete. It excludes later additions such as the drinking chorus, which would not have been written by a hare. Young's buildings referred to are now the homestead of Mr Samuel James Atchison, of Kilgrain."

The chorus is sung to the same tune as the verses. It appears that all the texts above derive from Sam Henry's, with the usual small alterations, but without specifics one can't be sure.


X:1
T:The Hare of Kilgrain
S:William Sloan, Dondooan (formerly Bushmills) 1924.
C:Attributed to James Sloan, Topland, Ballyrock, c.1770.
B:Huntington, Herrmann, Moulden: Sam Henry's Songs of the People, 1990.
N:Chorus to same tune as verses.
N:H12. Roud 2883
L:1/8
Q:1/4=100
M:3/4
K:G
GE|D2 E2 G2|G4 AB|c2 c2 G2|A4 D2|
w:Come_ all you bold sports-men of hon-our and fame, That
B2 c2 d2|e2 d2 B2|cA G2 F2|G4 GE|
w:week-ly ap-pear on the braes_ of Kil-grain With your
D2 E2 G2|G4 AB|c2 c2 G2|A4 D2|
w:ser-vants and hor-ses and dogs at com-mand, And
B2 c2 d2|e2 d2 B2|cA G2 F2|G4|]
w:young Rich-ard Hun-ter to lead_ on their band.