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16 May 08 - 11:35 AM (#2342174) Subject: Lyr Add: BALLINASLOE FAIR (Patrick C Farrell) From: Big Tim BALLINASLOE FAIR When I was a young lad my dad said to me, 'Son, come along to the horse fair with me, Up in the morning, away we will go, And we'll take the long road to Ballinasloe'. We set out at daybreak in the cool October air, We passed the Travelling People all going to the fair, We then went though Kilreekil, it wasn't far to go, To reach the town of Aughrim that made history long ago. And as we jogged through Brackenagh on the outskirts of the Fair, We then went down through Dunlo Street into the Market Square, It was here we saw the horse dealers busy at their trade, There was horses by the hundred, of every hue and shade. CHORUS: There was grass horses, race horses, cobs and hunters too, And Connemara ponies but they were very few, We heard a ballad singer, singing songs of long ago, For it's here they all had gathered for the Fair of Ballinasloe. And as we moved around the square, we saw the famous ring, It's there they were performing the crowning of the King, We heard him make his speeches and he seemed very proud, As he stepped down from the platform, to the greetings of the crowd. But times have changed a bit today, the system now exists, He's chosen now by voting instead of by the fist, But Travelling's People's practice in days long, long ago, Was to fight it out in battle for the King of Ballinasloe. And then to Maggie May's we went for a jar or two of stout, we heard the music playing and the people danced about The women in their Galway shawls, the men in hobnail boots, The atmosphere was jolly with the fiddles and the flutes. And then my father said, 'we've had enough to drink, So hop into th'old ass and cart, we'll head for home I think'. We set out on the road again, 'twas far away to go, But I never will forget about the Fair of Ballinasloe. CHORUS Written by Patrick Christopher Farrell. Transcribed from a recording by Brendan Shine. [Missing line inserted by a JoeClone] |
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19 May 08 - 07:26 AM (#2344255) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Ballinasloe Fair From: Jim Dixon Is there a line missing in verse 2? The verse has an odd number of lines, and there is no line rhyming with "stout". |
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19 May 08 - 09:17 PM (#2344800) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Ballinasloe Fair From: GUEST Thanks Tim, There are some parts of that song that I never could get. However what I DO hear is a bit different from your words, mostly things not worth pointing out, but in verse 1, line 9, I make the words to be 'And as we jogged through Bracken' and in the chorus I think 'grass horses' should be 'draught horses.' Also, Jim is correct about the missing line (10) in the second verse, it's 'We heard the music playing, and the people danced about.' |
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20 May 08 - 05:38 AM (#2344972) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Ballinasloe Fair From: Big Tim It's definitely 'Brackenagh', probably 'grass', and I did miss out the line 'we heard the music playing and the people danced about'. Any recordings other than that of Brendan Shine? And who was Patrick Christopher Farrell? |
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20 May 08 - 08:12 AM (#2345054) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Ballinasloe Fair From: GUEST Won't argue about the first one, but 'grass' makes no sense as a type of horse. |
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20 May 08 - 11:36 AM (#2345217) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Ballinasloe Fair From: Big Tim Brackenagh is the first townland immediately west of Ballinasloe. Re 'grass', I don't know - it just sounds to me that is what Brendan Shine sings. There is no horse breed named 'grass' (as far as I can see) but if you google under 'grass horses' you will find references to the term. It seems to simply refer to horses that are fed on grass! And what about those old horses that have been put out to grass! But you know I could be wrong! Any equine experts out there! |
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20 May 08 - 04:47 PM (#2345502) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Ballinasloe Fair From: MartinRyan "draught" is more reasonable in the context. I may be able to check. Regards |
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20 May 08 - 07:47 PM (#2345645) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Ballinasloe Fair From: quokka There must be a few 'Fair' songs ( or a fair few songs) about fairs! I have been trying to get the words of 'Dungloe Fair'from an old 78 recording and I can get about half of it but the thing is, I am almost sure it mentions the town of Aughrim, as well as Brackenagh.Could these two songs (otherwise quite different lyrically)have been connected somehow? perhaps written by the same person. There are a lot of place-names in 'Dungloe', these are the main words I am having the trouble with. I have posted what I can make out so far on the Dungloe Fair thread. Cheers, Quokka |
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20 May 08 - 08:06 PM (#2345652) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Ballinasloe Fair From: GUEST That's good to know about Brackenagh, it would be so much better if singers who sing obscure songs wouldn't cover up the words with the music, but I'm not holding my breath waiting for that to happen.That particular tape is one of the best that I've seen for avoiding the usual hackneyed lyrics that one still finds on Irish recordings, for those who don't know, it's 'The Irish Side of Brendan Shine,' and the songs are: Abbeyshrule Athlone Ballimona Hat Ballinasloe Fair Coastline Of Mayo I'll Settle For Old Ireland If You Ever Go Over to Ireland Oul' Ballymoe Where My Eileen Is Waiting Woodlands Of Loughglynn |
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21 May 08 - 05:34 AM (#2345873) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Ballinasloe Fair From: Big Tim Quokka, there's an area called 'Dunlo' and a Dunlo Street in the town of Ballinasloe. Coincidence? The 'main' Dungloe is in Donegal. I have a book 'Irish Fairs and Markets: studies in local history' in which there are quite a few references to Ballinasloe Fair but no mention of Dungloe. Then again, there is also no reference to Carndonagh Fair (Inishowen, Donegal) and there definitely was one there. As a young child, I remember the excitement of seeing the horses bought at it being trotted past own front door, the head of the one behind being tied to the tail of the one in front. That was in the early 1950s. |
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24 May 08 - 06:12 AM (#2348037) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Ballinasloe Fair From: quokka Thanks, Big Tim. The sound on the recording is quite poor but I am determined to have another few listens to see if I can make out any more words(to Dungloe, I mean). My Dad wants to sing it but he'll have to wait, the folks are off to Ireland on Monday for their annual three month stint on Monday.All right for some, eh? Lucky buggers! BTW I forgot to put a :-) at the end of my answer on the other thread! Cheers, Quokka |