Lyr Req: Miltown Cockroach (Con Ó Drisceoil)

Subject: Lyr Req: Milltown Cockroach
From: GUEST,Cliff McGann
Date: 14 Mar 04 - 01:40 AM

Anyone have the words to this very funny Irish song?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Milltown Cockroach
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 15 Mar 04 - 07:40 AM

The Milltown Cocroach was written by Con O'Drisceoil who appeared with "The Four Star Trio" from Cork at Sidmouth, I think 7 years ago. An excellent musician and composer of comic songs. He sings it on their album "The Square Triangle" with the words on the CD booklet so it's well worth getting. Get it anyway if you can track it down it's a fine CD, Craft Records CRCD02.

I'm not sure if the band are still going but there's a web site for Craft records with a phone number in Ireland and email contact here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Milltown Cockroach
From: MartinRyan
Date: 15 Mar 04 - 10:09 AM

The Four Star Trio is/are are still on the go alright!

Regards

p.s. funny how there's been a run of Con Fada's songs here lately...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Milltown Cockroach
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 15 Mar 04 - 11:24 AM

Glad to hear that Martin. Had a good time with them in Sidmouth way back. I'd forgotten that Con was known as "Fada".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Milltown Cockroach
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Mar 04 - 11:47 PM

Its a great CD and I luckilly own it already. Didn't have time to transcribe lyrics from it before tomorrows gig.....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Milltown Cockroach
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 17 Mar 04 - 04:09 AM

Guest, as stated above, the lyrics are on the CD booklet so shouldn't need transcribing. Or has it been reissued without the words?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Milltown Cockroach
From: Wolfgang
Date: 17 Mar 04 - 10:30 AM

Another possibility: Downloading a CD for free usually goes only without the booklet.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Milltown Cockroach
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 17 Mar 04 - 10:36 AM

I was aware that "copies" come like that, Wolfgang but surely Guest would have purchased his and supported the artist!!!!

Subject: Lyr Add: THE MILTOWN COCKROACH (Con Ó Drisceoil)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 01:51 PM

Copied from http://www.iol.ie/~terrym/fourstar.htm

THE MILTOWN COCKROACH
(Con Ó Drisceoil)

Oh, the West County Clare is a beautiful place;
Its people a charming and musical race.
'Tis pleasant to view it by car or by coach,
But a blot on the landscape is the Miltown Cockroach.
Rally ra fol the doh, rally ra fol the dee.

The Miltown Cockroach is a martyr for beer.
His eye it is evil, his aspect severe.
He barks like a bulldog and kicks like a mule,
And he drinks and he fights and he plays game of pool.
Rally ra fol the doh, rally ra fol the dee.

In Sweet Miltown Malbay one night in July,
I retired to my bed as the sunrise was nigh.
Established in comfort with grunts and with yawns,
I shortly was dreaming of tunes and rabhcáns.
Rally ra fol the doh, rally ra fol the dee.

But I woke with a start after two hours or so
To a loud crunching noise coming from my big toe.
This insect most foul then came into my view.
On the sole of my foot he proceeded to chew.
Rally ra fol the doh, rally ra fol the dee.

So I jumped from the bed with a terrible screech,
Saying, "Mister Cockroach, of the law you're in breach.
On a citizen's blood you may not slake your thirst
Without gaining the donor's approval at first."
Rally ra fol the doh, rally ra fol the dee.

"Of the legal position," says he, "I have doubt,
For this blood is at least fifty-eight percent stout.
So stop quoting law, and lie down again quick,
Till myself and my buddies conclude our picnic."
Rally ra fol the doh, rally ra fol the dee.

I tried to sweet-talk him with eloquent chat,
Saying, "A gourmet like you should know better than that.
Look at my carcass. 'Tis scrawny and tough,
While of plump tender youths there are surely enough."
Rally ra fol the doh, rally ra fol the dee.

Says the cockroach, "You speak like a poet and a sage,
But truly you don't taste too bad for your age.
My friends have decided that here we will dine,
While the meat isn't great, sure the pickle is fine!"
Rally ra fol the doh, rally ra fol the dee.

So I tackled those insects with brain and with brawn.
We struggled and tore at each other till dawn.
I fought them with bites and with blows and with kicks.
I tried burning and drowning and all sorts of tricks.
Rally ra fol the doh, rally ra fol the dee.

But that offspring of Satan came at me in gangs,
Snarling and showing me their venomous fangs.
They crawled from the ditches and out of the sewers,
Ten thousand or more of them six-legged hoors.
Rally ra fol the doh, rally ra fol the dee.

They covered the ground like a black shiny sheet
Till I knew it was time for to sound the retreat.
I turned and ran, full of loathing and dread,
And from Sweet Miltown Malbay that morning I fled.
Rally ra fol the doh, rally ra fol the dee.

Oh, the black widow spider is not a nice toy,
And the African cobra is one ugly boy;
But both of them surely are cuddly and fair
Compared to the man-eating cockroach from Clare.
Rally ra fol the doh, rally ra fol the dee.

A heart-felt, if unscientific, treatise on the wildlife of West Clare, this song was inspired by Con's dramatic encounter with a black beetle while camping in a Miltown Malbay back-garden during Scoil Shamhraidh Willie Clancy.

Tá meas an domhain ag Con ar thraidisiún amhránaíochta Mhúscraí, agus ar nós na n-amhrán eile a chum sé, úsáideann an ceann seo fonn ón gceantar sin; sa chás seo fonn an amhráin ghrinn The Trip to Guagán.

[As recorded by The Four Star Trio (Con "Fada" Ó Drisceoil, Johnny McCarthy & Pat "Herring" Ahern) on "The Square Triangle," Craft Recordings, CRCD02.]

------------------------------
Rough translation of the sleevenote in Irish:
Con has great regard for the Muskerry song traditon and, as with others of his songs, this one uses an air from that tradition. In this case, it's the air of the comic song The Trip to Gougane
Mudelf

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Milltown Cockroach
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 21 Mar 04 - 07:49 AM

Well done Jim

I didn't think to click on the photo of the CD cover to get the booklet notes on a web page.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Milltown Cockroach
From: Charley Noble
Date: 21 Mar 04 - 09:54 AM

Well, now we know he rest of the story!

Thanks for posting the lyrics, Jim.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Milltown Cockroach
From: Brían
Date: 03 Apr 04 - 08:03 PM

Thanks a lot, Jim. I just found a recording someone gave me of a friend singing this song. It's saving me the trouble of trying to transcribe it.

Brían

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Milltown Cockroach
From: MartinRyan
Date: 25 Apr 09 - 11:14 AM

Con can be heard singing this one on the TG4 programme referred to in THIS THREAD

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Milltown Cockroach
From: Vic Smith
Date: 25 Apr 09 - 01:10 PM

The writer of this song.....Con "Fada" O'Drisceoil is in England soon for a very short tour that includes an appearance at:-

The Royal Oak
Station Street
Lewes
East Sussex
BN7 4DA

May 7th * £5.00 * CON FADA Ó DRISCEOIL *** as part of our Irish Season ***
One of Ireland's foremost comic song writers in the traditional style in recent decades and a very fine button accordion player

The websites for more details are:-

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~tinvic

or

http://www.myspace.com/royaloakfolklewes

For more details email [e-mail]

.... and if you go to our MySpace site, you will be able to hear Con singing another of his hilariously funny songs, King Lear along with nine other songs by coming guest artists.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Milltown Cockroach
From: GUEST,Pheasant Plucker
Date: 25 Apr 09 - 03:27 PM

Con Fada for only a fiver
Is a treat most exceedingly rare;
You won't get much better value,
All the annals of Lewes will declare.

He'll reduce you to tears of pure laughter,
And I've heard, though it may be a rumour,
That his jokes are most extremely sharp;
So WARNING - these songs may contain humour.

You may think that Britain's got talent
But when you look on his phizz
In all of the Archipelago*
There is nothing so homely as his!

But I'd like to remind all our patrons,
Not to venture at pool nor play spoons;
For the Curse of the Cockroach of Milltown
May descend on such reckless poltroons.

*As of last Tuesday this was the approved term for the combined islands of Great Britain and Ireland etc.....

Con is one of a very few singers who can compose original songs which are immediately adopted and enjoyed by everyone. Good luck to him. I wrote The Return of Spoons as a sort of tribute to him, and to add to the general fun. I hope he didn't mind my presumption.

Pheasant Plucker

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Milltown Cockroach
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 26 Apr 09 - 03:12 AM

Anybody wanting to catch Con at his best should look out for the compilation of his songs 'The Spoons Murder' (book and CD) which includes, Bob's Song, The Miltown Cockroach, The Spoons Murder, Ben Hur (wonderfullllll), The Irish Piper, King Lear, An Fear Báite, The Two-Row Cake, The Pool Song, The Miltown Fourteen, The Kerry Animals and A Hymn To Saint Finbarr.
Also the collection 'Sing Up' Irish Comic Songs and Satires for every occasion, edited by Fintan Vallely has 77 of the best humourous songs, mostly newly written with a few traditional ones thrown in for good luck.
I notice that Fintan's book is available from the amazing 'Book Depository' at a bargain price (and post free) and Con's is listed but not (yet - hopefully) available.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Miltown Cockroach (Con Ó Drisceoil)
From: Vic Smith
Date: 29 Apr 09 - 12:08 PM

I've embedded a Youtube video of Con singing "The Miltown Cockroach" in the Royal Oak's MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/royaloakfolklewes

Subject: The Trip to Gougane/The Boys of the Cross
From: AmyLove
Date: 17 Feb 17 - 07:26 PM

Jim Dixon's mention of The Trip to Gougane got me looking for that song. I see that Jim Carroll provided the lyrics here.

I found a recording of the song:

ComhaltasLive #383-7: Bernadette O'Shea Sings

Description:

Tin whistle player Bernadette O'Shea sings a humorous song called "The Boys of the Cross", which she learned from famous fiddle player Johnny Cronin, who used to sing it. Bernadette is a native of Ballydesmond, Co. Cork, now living in Lixnaw, Co. Kerry.


I wasn't able to play the video, but when I clicked Download Audio I was able to listen to the song.

The lyrics as sung by O'Shea:

(I started with the lyrics found here and adjusted them to her performance.)

I am one of those jolly ould lads from the Cross
Who's fond of amusement as well as a glass
With a thirst I can't quench and a heart that is free
Sure everything else plays the devil wid me
Rally ra fol the da rally rex fol the dee

On the fifteenth of Augusht of this present year
Is a day I'll remember some time, never fear
To far-off Guaganbarra we went on da day
With the boys of the village light-hearted and gay
Rally ra fol the da rally rex fol the dee

On that holy morning just after first Mass
We started away on our trip from the Cross
Two handsome long cars that were hired for de day
Were waiting there ready to take us away
Rally ra fol the da rally rex fol the dee

We had Buckleys and Haleys and Sullivans too
A Leary, a Collins, a Roche and a Drew
Such a crowd of McCart'ys I ne'er saw before
And the Cronins were counted by de dozen or more
Rally ra fol the da rally rex fol the dee

To sweet Ballingeary at first we drew near
Where we moistened our lips with a pint of good beer
We drove off again just as fleet as the fawn
And around one o'clock we rolled into Guagan
Rally ra fol the da rally rex fol the dee

Some went boating all day in the lakes near at hand
Whilsht others went drinking till they couldn't shtand
Sure I t'ought I'd see sights that would dazzle my eyes
O divil a bit only mountains and shkies
Rally ra fol the da rally rex fol the dee

We started for home den before t'would get late
And the horses were goin' at the devil's own rate
Sure I t'ought that they surely would fall on the road
Before they could carry such a drunken old load
Rally ra fol the da rally rex fol the dee

We were half the time shtanding on each other's toes
And Dan Buckley thanks God that he shtill has his nose
He was met wid an elbow with such a bad t'ud
On my soul, lads, he lost half a gallon of blood
Rally ra fol the da rally rex fol the dee

When we reached Ballingeary sure an' we looked for some bread
But boxes of bishcuits they gave us instead
An' the stomach's bein' empty by each mother's son
We finished twelve boxes before we were done
Rally ra fol the da rally rex fol the dee

But no porter de owner had in his hotel
But a bad brand o' shtout that had failed him to sell
And in order to cheat us, the clever old coon,
Good porter was hid in a private back room
Rally ra fol the da rally rex fol the dee

Well we arrived at the Cross when our day it was o'er
And sure we filled ourselves up with the porter once more
We recovered our senses next morning at dawn
And that put an end to our trip to Guagan
Rally ra fol the da rally rex fol the dee