Lyr Add: Handsel Monday Was the Day

Subject: Lyr Add: Handsel Monday was the day
From: Thompson
Date: 13 Dec 15 - 11:08 AM

In a piece on the 1902 strike at the Inchicore Works in Dublin, came across this song:

Handsel Monday was the day that we did make a start.
Some had packets of plenty, and more had an aching heart.
The engineers they did go out as they often did before,
And the Devil himself wouldn't get them to work around about Inchicore.

You needn't be short of grub, for the Co is well supplied,
The more you get on the book the better will be the divide.
Then we'll have plenty to eat, as we often had before,
And matteradamn who's hungry, we'll be fed around Inchicore.

Our clothes they are all gone, what'll we do for more?
Get an order in the works for JH Webb & Co.
We'll dress ourselves in style as we always did before,
And matteradamn who's rackety, we'll be dressed around Inchicore.

Our tobacco is all gone, what'll we do for more?
Get down to Ruddle's on James's Street and there we'll get it on the score,
We'll go to one of the windows, to one of the girls you know,
And she'll throw you down a lump of weed because you're from Inchicore.

Our Uncle is two-to-one, he's our only friend,
If you've got tick to pawn, he's got money to lend.
So bid goodbye to your clothes, for you may not see them more
It's a hundred to one if they ever will be seen around Inchicore.

My song has ended, boys, and I hope you will excuse
If I said anything wrong that me you don't refuse
Jem McCann has kicked the bucket and Guinan has cursed and swore
That devil a drop he'll give on tick to air around Inchicore.

A note at the end says the Co is the Co-Operative Society; the clothes order refers to buying clothes and paying them back on the never-never through wage deductions; a two-to-one is a pawn shop; Jem McCann owned the local Black Lion pub and Guinan the Tyrconnell House pub.