Lyr Req: Saint Patrick Was a Gentleman

Subject: Saint Patrick tune, lyrics requested.
From: Zorro
Date: 18 Oct 98 - 09:52 PM

I have a tape of a hammer dulcimer player singing (and playing) a song about St. Patrick. Some of the lyrics are not clear. Can anyone help? It starts: Patrick was a gentle man and he came from decent people. He built a church in Dublin town and on it put a steeple.

His father was a Gallagher and his mother was a Grady. His Aunt was an O'Shaunassey and his uncle was a Brady...

Help.. someone?

Subject: RE: Saint Patrick tune, lyrics requested.
From: alison
Date: 18 Oct 98 - 10:24 PM

Hi,

the title is "St Patrick was a Gentleman." Haven't done a search yet. if it's not here I've got the words.

Slainte

alison

Subject: Lyr Add: ST. PATRICK WAS A GENTLEMAN
From: alison
Date: 18 Oct 98 - 10:29 PM

Hi,

Didn't find it on the search so here you go....

ST. PATRICK WAS A GENTLEMAN

Saint Patrick was a gentleman; he came of decent people,
In Dublin town he built a church and on it put a steeple,
His father was a Callaghan; his mother was a Brady,
His Aunt was an O'Shaughnessy and his uncle was a Grady.

CHORUS: Then success to bold St. Patrick's fist, he was a saint so clever,
He gave the snakes an awful twist and banished them forever.

There's not a mile in Ireland's Isle where the dirty vermin musters,
Where'er he put his dear forefoot he murder'd them in clusters,
The toads went hop; the frogs went plop, slap dash into the water,
And the beasts committed suicide to same themselves from slaughter.

CHORUS

Nine hundred thousand vipers blue he charm'd with sweet discourses,
And dined on them at Killaloo in soups and second courses,
When blind worms crawling on the grass disgusted all the nation,
He gave a them a rise and open'd their eyes to a sense of their situation.

CHORUS

The Wicklow hills are very high, and so's the hill of Howth, sir,
But there's a hill much higher still, Ay higher than them both, sir,
"Twas on the top of this high hill St. Patrick preached the "sarmint,"
He drove the frogs into the bogs, and bothered all the varmint.

CHORUS

Let me know if you need the tune.

Slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Saint Patrick tune, lyrics requested.
From: Barry Finn
Date: 18 Oct 98 - 11:14 PM

The same verse turns up in the sea shanty "Haul Away Joe" see the DT for that version. Barry

Subject: RE: Saint Patrick tune, lyrics requested.
From: Zorro
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 12:48 AM

Thanks Alison, that is it. And no, I know the tune. The version I have is sung by a guy who plays a mean hammer dulcimer and he sings it so fast I t get the words. There are some additional verses: No wonder that the Irish lad should be so gay and frisky, Sure St. Patty taught them that as well as making whisky.

No wonder that the sait himself should understand distillin' His mother ran a sheaving shop in the town of Vaniskellen (SP) (next page)

Subject: RE: Saint Patrick tune, lyrics requested.
From: Zorro
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 12:52 AM

Was I but so fortunate as to be back in Munster, I'd be bounded to that ground and never more would wanster. There St. Patrick plantyed turf, cabbages and praties, Pigs galore....?????? ..............??? Altar boys and ladies.

Subject: RE: Saint Patrick tune, lyrics requested.
From: Liam's Brother
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 04:16 PM

Senor Zorro,

Would love to get the tune for this... Gracias.

All the best, Dan

Subject: Tune Add: SAINT PATRICK WAS A GENTLEMAN
From: Bruce O.
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 05:00 PM

The tune below seems to have been the first appearance of this title.

X:1
T:SAINT PATRICK WAS A GENTLEMAN
S:Clinton's 'Gems of Ireland', c 1840
Q:120
L:1/8
M:C|
K:A dorian
e3/2d/|cAAA EAAA|BGGB d2e3/2d/|cAAA EAAA|BGGBd2ez/d/|\
ceee aeee|ceeea2~a3/2b/|c'ab^g ae ed/c/|BGGBd2.e3/2d/|\
cAAA EAAA|BGGBd2e3/2d/|cAAA EAAa|aee3/2d/ cB .A2|]

---

Click to play

To play or display ABC tunes, try concertina.net

Subject: RE: Saint Patrick tune, lyrics requested.
From:
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 07:49 PM

I think think is mentioned somewhere in Joyce -- Portrait of The Artist As A Young Man?

I distinctly remember hearing a version where it was asserted that the Saint "wore a suit of leather."

Subject: RE: Saint Patrick tune, lyrics requested.
From: michaelr
Date: 20 Feb 05 - 04:19 PM

I've never heard the chorus sung.
These are the lyrics I have, from the singing of Sean Oglesby, Dublin:

Saint Patrick Was A Gentleman    

Saint Patrick was a gentleman, he came from decent people
He built a church in Dublin town and on it put a steeple
His father was a Gallagher, his mother was a Grady
His aunt was an O'Shaughnessy and his uncle was a Brady

The Wicklow hills are very high and so's the hill of Howth, sir
But there's a hill much higher still, much higher than them both, sir
From the top of this high hill Saint Patrick preached a sermon
Drove the frogs into the bogs and banished all the vermin

There's not a mile in Eireann's isle where dirty vermin muster
But there he put his dear forefoot and murdered them in clusters
The frogs went plop, the toads went flop, slapdash into the water
The snakes committed suicide to save themselves from slaughter

Nine hundred thousand reptiles blue he charmed with sweet discourses
And dined on them at Killaloe in soups and second courses
Blind worms crawling on the grass disgusted all the nation
Down to hell with a holy spell he changed the situation

No wonder that them Irish lads should be so gay and frisky
Sure Saint Patrick taught them that as well as making whisky
No wonder that the saint himself should understand distilling
His mother had a shebeen shop in the town of Enniskillen

O was I but so fortunate as to be back in Munster
I'd rebound unto that ground and nevermore should want, sir
There Saint Patrick planted corn, cabbages and praties
He had pigs galore, a gra a stor, altar boys and ladies

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Saint Patrick Was a Gentleman
From: Lighter
Date: 20 Feb 05 - 05:47 PM

There's a version, maybe identical to the above posts, in "The Oxford Song Book" (1920s?).

The first two lines have entered the shanty "Haul Away Joe."

Subject: RE: Saint Patrick Was a Gentleman
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 07:29 AM

Recorded by Christy Moore on "The Iron Behind The Velvet". His version was approximately to the tune of a Kerry polka, the name of which escapes me at the moment.

Subject: RE: Saint Patrick Was a Gentleman
From: GUEST,thurg
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 08:36 AM

"a gra a stor": translation?

Subject: RE: Saint Patrick Was a Gentleman
From: michaelr
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 10:26 PM

Can't access my Irish translator right now, but it roughly means something like "my dear, my heart". Or so I believe. Don't quote me.

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Saint Patrick Was a Gentleman
From: Tim theTwangler
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 10:44 PM

Was the Christy version the one he played on the Bodrhan?

Subject: RE: Saint Patrick Was a Gentleman
From: ossonflags
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 10:48 PM

Yes.

Subject: RE: Saint Patrick Was a Gentleman
From: Scrump
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 05:33 AM

He certainly was.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Saint Patrick Was a Gentleman
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 17 Mar 18 - 07:40 PM

Christy Moore (with Stockton's Wing)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=v7C4yBdPaW8

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Saint Patrick Was a Gentleman
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 21 May 20 - 01:15 PM

Mentioned in "The Asiatic Journal," Dec., 1823, p. 613:

"First Toast.   'The glorious and immortal memory of St. Patrick.' Tune–-St. Patrick's Day.—Song by Mr. Henly, 'St. Patrick was a Gentleman, and he came from dacent People.'"

T. Crofton Croker, in "Popular Songs of Ireland" (1839), p. 21, says,

"This song consisted originally of three verses (1st, 2nd, and 5th), which were the impromptu joint production of the late Mr. Henry Bennett and Mr. Toleken, of Cork, and were sung by them in alternate lines at a masquerade at that city, where thy appeared as ballad-singers, in the winter of 1814 or 1815. The song becoming a favourite, the 6th verse, as now printed, was added by Mr. Toleken, at the request of Webbe, the comedian, then the popular representative of Irish characters on the stage, who usually said that the song was written for him. The 3rd and 4th verses were additions by other hands, and the consequence of the encore with which this admirable national lyric has been generally received."

Songwriter Septimus Winner's Civil War recruitment song, "Abraham's Daughter," goes to nearly the same tune. (Not the later, currently more popular "Maggie in the Wood" tune.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Saint Patrick Was a Gentleman
From: An Buachaill Caol Dubh
Date: 21 May 20 - 04:10 PM

Interesting that this "admirable national lyric" was made by prosperous Gentlemen from Cork, and that the comedian who sang it was the "popular representative of Irish characters on the stage".
To tell the truth, I first encountered this at the age of twelve, and thought it trivial doggerel then. "Bould Thady Quill" is a small cut above, in my own view of course.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Saint Patrick Was a Gentleman
From: meself
Date: 21 May 20 - 05:27 PM

You mean, you're not moved to tears by the poignant beauty of this masterpiece of the lyrical art? I must say, I'm disappointed in you.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Saint Patrick Was a Gentleman
From: Lighter
Date: 21 May 20 - 06:21 PM

Croker devotes a couple of pages to "elucidating" the allusions in the song.

It is all very tongue-in-cheek.

The song was a perennial favorite (Roud 13337). The Bodleian has six broadsheet printings between by 1866.

The idea that it could have been truly "impromptu," however, is obviously nonsense.