Origins: Down by the Liffey side

Subject: Lyr Req: Down by the Liffey side
From: GUEST,charlotte
Date: 06 May 09 - 04:35 AM

Hi,
I'm wandering about the story of the two versions of "Down by the Liffey side". There is one with five verses and another with four verses. Is it an add from The Dubliners?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down by the Liffey side
From: MartinRyan
Date: 06 May 09 - 05:02 AM

If you post the two versions (or links to them) we might be able to help.

The Digital tradition has:
-------------------------------------------------
DOWN BY THE LIFFEYSIDE
(Peadar Kearney)

'Twas down by Anna Liffey, my love and I did stray
Where in the good old slushy mud the sea gulls sport and play.
We got the whiff of ray and chips and Mary softly sighed,
"Oh John, come on for a wan and wan
Down by the Liffeyside."

Then down along by George's street the loving pairs to view
While Mary swanked it like a queen in a skirt of royal blue;
Her hat was lately turned and her blouse was newly dyed,
Oh you could not match her round the block,
Down by the Liffeyside.

And on her old melodeon how sweetly could she play.;
"Good-by-ee" and "Don't sigh-ee" and "Rule Brittanni-ay"
But when she turned Sinn Feiner me heart near burst with pride,
To hear her sing the "Soldier's Song",
Down by the Liffeyside.

On Sunday morning to Meath street together we will go,
And it's up to Father Murphy we both will make our vow.
We'll join our hands in wedlock bands and we'll be soon outside
For a whole afternoon, for our honeymoon,
Down by the Liffeyside.

From Folksongs and Ballads Popular in Ireland, Ossian Publications
----------------------------------------------

Regards

p.s. there are a few threads about the song. Search on "liffeyside".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down by the Liffey side
From: GUEST
Date: 06 May 09 - 05:09 AM

Oh I've seen the other threads but none of them aswer to that.

The other version have one more final verse:

And we'll have little children
And rear them neat and clean
To shout: Up the Republic
And to sing about Sinn Fein
They'll do what their old fellow did
Who England's power divide
We'll send them off to fight The Saxon Hun
Down by the Liffey side

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down by the Liffey side
From: MartinRyan
Date: 06 May 09 - 05:26 AM

Frank Harte, in the first edition of his "Songs of Dublin" has the following as the (crucial) second verse of five:

And up to Rabbioti's together we did go
And the rapture there that filled our hearts, no poet e'er could know
We started eating one and ones and Mary softly sighed
"Oh I'd live for ever eating chips down by the Liffey side"

He also, BTW, has some minor differences in the George's Street verse.

I'd be loath to blame the Dubliners for your extra verse - I think they'd have made it scan!

Regards

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Liffey side
From: Leadfingers
Date: 06 May 09 - 07:11 AM

Whoever wrote it ( and I have a variation that DOES Scan and makes a bit more sense ) it refers to that delightful period that so many staunch republicans seem to deny the existence of , when the I R A declared war on the Newly Formed Irish Free State after partition !

And we'll have little children , and rear them neat and clean
To shout 'Up The Republic' and to sing about Sinn Fein
The'll do what their old fellows did to Englands Power defy
Send them off with guns against the Free State Huns
      Down by the Liffey side

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Liffey side
From: MartinRyan
Date: 06 May 09 - 07:52 AM

Peadar Kearney certainly wrote an additional, anti-partition verse to The Soldier's Song - so it's quite possible he wrote that civil war verse himself, I reckon. Mind you, I'd expect Harte to mention it.

Regards

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Liffey side
From: MartinRyan
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 03:27 PM

Click here for a recording of the inimitable Luke Cheevers singing this song.

Regards

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Liffey side
From: GUEST,Diarmuid
Date: 16 Dec 15 - 02:47 PM

and that recording of Luke Cheevers skips that verse completely!