Subject: Origins: Star of the County Down
From:
Joe Offer
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 03:47 PM
Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry on this song:
Star of the County Down, The DESCRIPTION: Near Banbridge town, the singer sees a "sweet colleen." He is instantly smitten with the beauty of "the star of the Country Down." He makes plans to pursue her, and dreams of life with her
AUTHOR: unknown (credited to Cathal McGarvey [1866-1927] by Colm O'Lochlainn)
EARLIEST DATE: 1936 (Irish Country Songs)
KEYWORDS: love courting clothes
FOUND IN: Ireland
REFERENCES (1 citation):
DT, STARDOWN*
Roud #4801
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Dives and Lazarus" [Child 56] (tune)
cf. "The Banks of Newfoundland (I)" [Laws K25] (tune)
cf. "When a Man's in Love" [Laws O20] (tune)
cf. "The Wreck of the Gwendoline" (tune)
cf. "The Colleen from Coolbaun" (tune)
SAME TUNE:
Dives and Lazarus (File: C056)
The Wreck of the Gwendoline (File: OLcM257)
The Banks of Newfoundland (I) [Laws K25] (File: LK25)
When a Man's in Love [Laws O20] (File: LO20)
The Colleen from Coolbaun (File: RcTCofCo)
File: DTstardo
Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography The Ballad Index Copyright 2015 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.
For the sake of discussion, here are the lyrics from the Digital Tradition:
STAR OF THE COUNTY DOWN
Near to Banbridge Town, in the County Down
One morning in July,
Down a boreen green came a sweet colleen,
And she smiled as she passed me by;
Oh, she looked so neat from her two white feet
To the sheen of her nut-brown hair,
Sure the coaxing elf, I'd to shake myself
To make sure I was standing there
CHORUS: Oh, from Bantry Bay up to Derry Quay,
And from Galway to Dublin town,
No maid I've seen like the brown colleen
That I met in the County Down.
As she onward sped I shook my head
And I gazed with a feeling quare,
And I said, says I, to a passer-by,
"Who's the maid with the nut-brown hair?"
Oh, he smiled at me, and with pride says he,
"That's the gem of Ireland's crown,
She's young Rosie McCann from the banks of the Bann,
She's the Star of the County Down."
She'd a soft brown eye, And a look so sly
And a smile like the rose in June;
And you hung on each note from her lily-white throat
As she lilted an Irish tune.
At the pattern dance you were held in a trance,
As she tripped through a reel or jig;
And when her eyes she'd roll, she'd coax, upon my soul,
A spud from a hungry pig.
I've travelled a bit, but never was hit
Since my roving career began;
But fair and square I surrendered there*
To the charms of young Rose McCann.
With a heart to let and no tenant yet
Did I meet with in shawl or gown,
But in she went and I asked no rent
From the Star of the County Down.
At the crossroads fair I'll be surely there
And I'll dress in my Sunday clothes,
And I'll try sheep's eyes, and deludhering lies
On the heart of the nut-brown Rose.
No pipe I'll smoke, no horse I'll yoke,
Though with rust my plow turns brown,
Till a smiling bride by my own fireside
Sits the Star of the County Down.
*O'Keeffe has "thee" instead of "there"
@Irish @love
From The First Book of Irish Ballads, Daniel O'Keeffe
filename[ STARDOWN
TUNE FILE: STARDOWN
CLICK TO PLAY
RPf
The Digital Tradition version is almost an exact transcription of the version in The First Book of Irish Ballads by Daniel D. O'Keeffe. For some reason, the Digital Tradition leaves out the verse that is shown in italics.
-Joe-
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sj
