Brady/Irvine - Skewbald recording

Subject: Brady/Irvine - Skewbald recording
From: Liam's Brother
Date: 10 Oct 03 - 12:57 AM

Earlier today I was looking for my copy of the Mulligan album, Andy Irvine & Paul Brady. Disappeared! Sometime later it was issued on Green Linnet in the USA.   

The horse racing song usually called Skewbald is on this disc. I wonder would someone who has this album and a few spare moments be so kind as to provide me with the sleeve notes to just that one song. Thanks in advance.

Subject: RE: Brady/Irvine - Skewbald recording
From: Stewie
Date: 10 Oct 03 - 02:15 AM

Here you go, Dan. The note is by Frank Harte:

The first time I heard this song was in America where Cisco Houston sang about 'Stewball':

I rode him in England, I rode him in Spain
And I never did lose boys, I always did gain

There is also another version that found its way into the American negro tradition and was widely sung in the southern work camps.

The next time I heard the song, it was sung to me by Bert Lloyd who called the horse 'Skewbald'. In his version, Skewbald was owned by Arthur Marvel and ran against a grey mare called Griselda 'on the sporting plains of Kildare'. In 1964, Eddie Butcher of Magilligan Co. Derry sang for me another version of Stewball who this time was challenged by 'young Mrs Gore' to run against Miss Griesel. I in turn passed the song on to Andy and the version which you hear now is the outcome.

The facts are that something around 1790 a race took place on the Curragh of Kildare between a skewbald horse owned by Arthur Marvel and 'Miss Portly', a grey mare owned by Sir Ralph Gore. The race seemed to take the ballad makers' fancy and must have been widely sung - an early printed version appeared in an American song book dated 1829.

The song as sung here is a combination of Bert Lloyd's version and Eddie Butcher's version but I think, for the future, it can only be called Andy Irvine's version.   [Note on sleeve to Andy Irvine and Paul Brady 'Same' Mulligan LP LUN 008].

Cheers, Stewie.

Subject: RE: Brady/Irvine - Skewbald recording
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 10 Oct 03 - 06:52 AM

Liam's Brother

As you probably know, there are a few ballad sheet versions in the Bodleian collection. Here's one that includes some of the names Frank mentions.

Regards

Subject: RE: Brady/Irvine - Skewbald recording
From: MartinRyan
Date: 10 Oct 03 - 04:37 PM

Coincidentally, I turned on the TV tonight and spotted Irvine/Brady singing this one in an old live recording from the 1970's. Nicholas Carolan, introducing the clip, mentioned that Hugh SHields dated the original race as 1750, if I heard him aright. That would be the Eddie Butcher connection, presumable.

Regards

Subject: RE: Brady/Irvine - Skewbald recording
From: Liam's Brother
Date: 10 Oct 03 - 11:30 PM

Thank you Stewie. Very kind of you to take the trouble. Wonder where that record is!

Thanks Martin. Uncanny that it was on TV tonight! As it happened, I looked at the Bodleian yesterday. It was common. Hope Josephine and her Napoleon are doing well.