Lyr Req: Wee Hughie (Elizabeth Shane)

Subject: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school'
From:
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 02:29 PM

I'm in search of a traditional Irish ballad (well, song, anyway), the title of which I do not know. I know the opening verse, which is:

"Wee Hughie's gone to school, and him not four
Sure, I saw the fright was on him as he left the door
But he took the hand of Dinny and the hand of Dan
With Joe's aul' coat upon him, och, the poor wee man."

If anybody happens to know the rest of the lyrics to this song, I'd be greatly appreciative if you could post them! Thank you!

-Catie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school'
From: MMario
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 02:37 PM

is this it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school'
From:
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 02:44 PM

Bwah! I am very impressed. I'm actually looking for the lyrics for my Mom, and I don't know them at all, so I'll send this URL to her and see if this is what she's looking for! Thanks!

-Catie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school'
From: GUEST,Den
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 03:07 PM

That's just the first verse MMario. Its "Wee Hughie", a poem and I'll post the verses myself tonight if noone beats me to it. To my knowledge it was never set to music. Den

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school'
From: Deckman
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 03:23 PM

I have a different version. I'll post it later on tonight ... 'gotta go bnuild a deck right now. (by the way, this is a three hanky song for all you parents out there.) CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school'
From:
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 05:13 PM

Me dear sainted mither claims that the last lyrics of the song are something very much like:

I followed to the turnin', when they passed it by/God help him! he was cryin'/And maybe, so was I.

If that's any help. Thanks, everyone!

-Catie

Subject: Lyr Add: WEE HUGHIE (Elizabeth Shane)
From: Den
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 07:52 PM

This poem always brings back wonderful memories of my childhood. I remember Mrs McKibbon and her daughters coming to our house. Mrs McKibbon would tell stories that would frighten the lives out of us while the wind wailed and moaned round the kitchen door (stepmothers breath). After we were suitably scared out of our wits her daughter Rosaleen would step forward with only the light of the fire casting long shadows across the room and she lower her head slightly and begin to recite:


WEE HUGHIE
Elizabeth Shane

He's gone to school, wee Hughie,
An' him not four,
Sure I saw the fright was in him
When he left the door.
But he took a hand o' Denny,
An' a hand o' Dan,
Wi' Joe's owld coat upon him—
Och, the poor wee man!

He cut the quarest figure,
More stout nor thin;
An' trottin' right an' steady
Wi' his toes turned in.
I watched him to the corner
O' the big turf stack,
An' the more his feet went forrit,
Still his head turned back.

He was lookin', would I call him—
Och, my heart was woe—
Sure it's lost I am without him,
But he be to go.
I followed to the turnin'
When they passed it by,
God help him, he was cryin',
An', maybe, so was I.


The poem was written in the Ulster dialect by Elizabeth Shane, a vicar's daughter from Donegal. The last verse always gives me trouble as well in the lump in the throat department incidentally. Den

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school'
From: Deckman
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 08:48 PM

Thanks "DEN." That's exactly the song as it was taught to me by the late David Spence of Los Gatos, Ca. Actually, he was native Ireland. And I also have a very hard time singing the last verse. It one of those those songs which demands COMPLETE detachment to succeed ... I rarely can pull it off! By the way, I gather that this is a well known POEM. I know it as a song ... very moving in spirit. If anyone out here remembers David Spence, I'd love to hear from you. CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school'
From: Den
Date: 02 Oct 01 - 06:49 AM

Deckman if you have a tune for this I'd love to hear it. I never knew it had been set to music. Thanks Den.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school'
From: Aidan Crossey
Date: 02 Oct 01 - 08:06 AM

Fans of Ultonian folk poetry might wish to revisit the following thread,

Click here

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school'
From:
Date: 02 Oct 01 - 05:52 PM

Thank you so much! This is fantastic! I really appreciate it! *beam*

-Catie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school'
From: Deckman
Date: 02 Oct 01 - 07:19 PM

I have never heard that this "SONG" was recorded. Dave Spence performed it a lot in the San Francisco Bay area in the early 1960's. He taught it to me. I suspect, but I don't know for sure, that he put it to music himself. Someday, when I get tired of building decks (working) I'll learn how to post music on Mudcat. CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school'
From: GUEST,julesj0
Date: 16 Jun 09 - 12:43 PM

Wee Hughie
He's gone to school wee Hughie
and him not four
Sure I saw the fright was in him
when he left the door.

But he took the hand of Dinny
An' a han' of Dan,
Wi' Joe's ould coat upon him -
Och the poor wee man!

He cut the quarest figure,
More stout nor thin,
An' trottin' right an' steady,
Wi' his toes turned in,

I watched him to the corner
of the big Kirk's dark,
An' the more his feet went forrit'
Still his head turned back.

He was lookin', would I call him,
Och, me heart was woe
Sure its lost I am without him
But he need to go.

I followed to the turnin'
when he passed it by
God help him he was crying
And maybe so was I.

Above are the words as I know them when I perform the song at my Magic Lantern shows.
I learnt it from a recording by Kenneth McKellar recording of the songs of JohnMcCormack

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wee Hughie (Elizabeth Shane)
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jul 09 - 08:00 PM

But he took a hand o 'Denny
An' a hand o' Dan,,
Wi' Joe's owld coat upon him -
Och, the poor wee man!
He cut the quarest figure,
More stout nor thin;
An' trottin' right an' steady
Wi his toes turned in.
I watched him to the corner
0' the big turf stack,
An' the more his feet went forrit,
Still his head turned back.
He was lookin',
would I call him -
Och me heart was woe-
Sure it's lost I am without him,
But he be to go.
I followed to the turnin'
When they passed it by,
God help him, he was cryin',
An', maybe, so was I.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wee Hughie (Elizabeth Shane)
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Oct 09 - 03:42 PM

He's gone to school wee Hughie and him not four,
Sure I saw the fright was on him
As he left the door.
He took a hand a Dinny, and a hand a Dan,
With Joe's auld coat upon him,
Ach, the poor wee man.

I watched him to the corner of the big turf stack,
And the more his feet went forrit,
still his head turned back.
He was looking would I call him,
Ouch my heart was sore,
Sure it's lost I am without him,
But he bet to go.

I watched him to the turning,
As he passed it by.
God help him he was crying,
And maybe so was I.



From Mary mc Gonagle Johnson
Manchester , and Donegal.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wee Hughie (Elizabeth Shane)
From: ard mhacha
Date: 25 Oct 09 - 04:09 PM

I have a recording of Kenneth McKellar singing Wee Hughie, McKellar is one of my favourite singers, but, the wee poem is not as good as some oul country man reciting this. The perfect setting is some wee Hiberian Hall on a night such as this with the gale howling and the rain belting of the windows, pure heaven with a pint of guiness for company.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wee Hughie (Elizabeth Shane)
From: GUEST,Linda
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 10:15 AM

We are looking for the sheet music to the poem by Shane. Malotte wrote the music.
Can anyone assist??

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wee Hughie (Elizabeth Shane)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 Sep 10 - 11:37 PM

Apparently several composers have set Elizabeth Shane's poem to music. The British Library has these:

1. Music by Albert Hay Malotte, 1946.
2. Music by John F. Larchet, 1947.
3. Music by Joseph Gormley, 1955.
4. Music by Reginald C. Noel Johnson, 1960.
5. Music by Dorothy Parke, 1980.

You might try The Sheet Music Warehouse (UK) (although the site seems to be down right now).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wee Hughie (Elizabeth Shane)
From: GUEST,Liz Conway, Canberra, Australia
Date: 19 Mar 14 - 06:30 PM

I learned this as a child in St Nicholas Primary School in Carrickfergus, N Ireland. It is my first memory of being reduced to tears by grief. I am delighted to rediscover the full text, 50 years on, having preserved the first line in my memory all these years.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wee Hughie (Elizabeth Shane)
From: GUEST,olive swan, New Jersey, USA
Date: 17 Jun 17 - 07:32 AM

I learned this poem in King's Inn Street Secondary School, Dublin, Ireland. Ms. Moriarty taught it to us in a North of Ireland accent (dialect). It became my "party piece" at family functions and later when I went to Paris, France and New York as a nun. Most of my friends in the convent memorized it since I had recited it so often over the years. After I left the convent and married, I taught "Wee Hughie" to my young daughter KellyAnne, who recited it at many Feiseanna in the tri-state area. The Irish born adjudicators were enthralled to hear a little American child recite in a North of Ireland accent this much beloved poem. My heart still aches a little for the memories of long ago and yesterday when I hear mention of ""Wee Hughie."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wee Hughie (Elizabeth Shane)
From: GUEST,Terry Stewart
Date: 21 Jul 18 - 06:12 AM

Coming rather late to this. The only recording I've ever heard was by Maureen O'Hara on her 1961 album 'Sings Her Favorite Irish Songs'