Lyr Req: Biddy Mulligan, the Pride of the Coombe

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Lyr Req: Biddy Mulligan, the Pride of the Coombe

18 Oct 08 - 07:25 PM (#2469448)
Subject: Lyr Req: mrs mulligans the pride of macrome
From: GUEST,spalpien

You may travel from CLARE to the Co,KILDARE and from

18 Oct 08 - 07:28 PM (#2469451)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: mrs mulligans the pride of macrome
From: MartinRyan

Biddy Mulligan, the Pride of the Coombe.

Regards

Click here.

18 Oct 08 - 07:30 PM (#2469456)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: mrs mulligans the pride of macrome
From: Emma B

here

18 Oct 08 - 07:32 PM (#2469457)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: mrs mulligans the pride of macrome
From: Emma B

sorry Martin you beat me to it but the 'dots' are in the Digital Tradition Mirror too

19 Oct 08 - 05:46 AM (#2469740)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: mrs mulligans the pride of macrome
From: Snuffy

The version Ronnie Drew recorded with the Dubliners has quite a few changes from the version in the DT: e.g. the peas are split rather than sweet, and she's only stood there for 35 years, not 64. But the main change is that it's been cut down to two verses and the order of the remaining (half-)verses has been changed.

You may travel from Clare to the county Kildare
From Dublin right down to Macroom
And where would you see a fine widow like me?
Biddy Mulligan the pride of the Coombe.

I'm a scrap of a widow, that lives in a place
In Dublin, that's known as the Coombe.
And me comfort and ease, sure no king could excel
Though me palace consists of one room.
By Patrick Street corner, for thirty-five years,
I've stood by my stall, that's no lie.
And while I stood there, there was no-one would dare
To say black was the white of my eye.

You may travel from Clare to the county Kildare
From Dublin right down to Macroom
And where would you see a fine widow like me?
Biddy Mulligan the pride of the Coombe.

I sell apples and oranges, nuts and split peas,
Bullseyes and sugar sticks sweet.
On a Saturday night I sell second-hand clothes,
From me stall on the floor of the street.
Now I have a son Mick, and he plays on the pipe,
He belongs to the Longford Street band;
It would do your heart good just to see them march out
Of a Sunday to Sandymount Strand.

You may travel from Clare to the county Kildare
From Dublin right down to Macroom
And where would you see a fine widow like me?
Biddy Mulligan the pride of the Coombe, me boys,
Biddy Mulligan the pride of the Coombe.

19 Oct 08 - 06:27 AM (#2469751)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: mrs mulligans the pride of macrome
From: Emma B

The version I know is printed in Frank Harte 'Songs of Dublin' (1978) and differs in details from all the above :)

He writes...

'A song of fairly recent origin and made famous by the late Jimmy O'
Dea'

I'm a buxom fine widow, I live in a spot,
In Dublin they call it the Coombe;
My shop and my stall is laid out in the street
And me place consists of one room.
On St. Patrick's Street corner for forty-five years,
I've stood there, I'll tell you no lie,
And while I stood there, sure no body would dare,
To say black was the white of my eye.

You may travel from Clare to the County Kildare,
From Drogheda right back by Macroom;
But where would you see a fine widow like me,
Biddy Mulligan, the pride of the Coombe, me boys,
Biddy Mulligan, the pride of the Coombe.

I sell apples and oranges, nuts and split peas,
Bananas and sugar-sticks sweet;
I sell second-hand clothes on a Saturday night,
And the floor of me stall is the street.
I sell fish on a Friday laid out on a dish,
Fresh mackerel and lovely ray;
I sell lovely herrings, such lovely fresh herrings,
That once swam in dear Dublin Bay.

Now I have a son, Mick, and he plays on the flute,
He belongs to the Longford Street Band;
It would do your heart good for to see him march out,
When the band goes to Dolly Mount Strand.
In the Park every Sunday I cut quite a dash,
All the neighbours look on in surprise;
At my grand paisley shawl, and my bonnet so tall,
Would dazzle the sight of your eyes.

Chorus

Jimmy O'Dea (1899-1965) was a Dublin-born optician who took part in amateur dramatics in his spare time.
In 1927, O'Dea took to the stage full time and formed a partnership with Harry O'Donovan, a scriptwriter who had collaborated with Seamus Kavanagh.
Together O'Donovan and O'Dea created O'Dea's most famous comedic character - Moore Street fruit vendor Biddy Mulligan, the Pride of the Coombe, based on Harry Donovan's original sketches

19 Oct 08 - 07:33 AM (#2469779)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: mrs mulligans the pride of macrome
From: Emma B

Old recording and photo of 'Biddy' at Dublin Opinion

20 Oct 08 - 08:55 AM (#2470647)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Biddy Mulligan, the Pride of the Coombe
From: Jim Dixon

For a related song, see Lyr Req: Sweet Daffodil Mulligan (Harry O'Donovan).

20 Oct 08 - 10:04 AM (#2470700)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE QUEEN OF THE COOMBE (W. S North)
From: MartinRyan

Philip Ryan, in his biography of Jimmy O'Dea, says the following:

"The character of Biddy Mulligan was inspired by an old song written before Jimmy himself was born. Called "Queen of the Coombe", it was specially written by W S North for a Gaiety Theatre pantomime "Taladoin, or The Scamp with the Lamp" which opened on Thursday, December 26, 1889. The song was sung by Richard Purdon who played the part of the Widow Twankey. The words were printed in the programme as was the custom then, in order to establish copyright.

THE QUEEN OF THE COOMBE

I'm a dashing fine widow that lives in a spot,
That is christened the Dublin Coombe;
Where the shops and the stalls are all out on the street
And my palace consists of one room.
At Plunkett Street corner for forty-five years,
I've stood at my stall, 'tis no lie,
And during them years there's not one could be found
To say black was the white of my eye.

You may ramble through Clare and the County Kildare,
And from Drogheda down to Macroom;
But you never will see a widow like me,
Mrs Twankey, the Queen of the Coombe

I sell apples and oranges, pears and split peas,
I sell bulls eyes and sugar-stick sweet;
On Saturday night I sell seconhand clothes
From my stall on the floor of the street.
I sell fish on a Friday spread out on a board,
Fresh cod fish from out of the say
Haddocks and mackerel and herring so sweet,
The herrings of famed Dublin Bay.

Chorus

Seamus Kavanagh later adapted it, calling it "Biddy Muilligan the Pride of the Coombe" and it was sung by several Dublin performers like Tony Reddin... It was recorded on the Eclipse label (...) by a Dublin comedian Patrick Kavanagh, around the time that Jimmy recorded it for Parlophone and made it his own. It was to serve as his theme music throughout his career...
___________________
Regards

13 Oct 14 - 04:06 PM (#3668752)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Biddy Mulligan, the Pride of the Coombe
From: MartinRyan

For a fine archive recording of this by Tom Crean at The Goilin Song Project

Click here

Regards

13 Oct 14 - 09:36 PM (#3668847)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Biddy Mulligan, the Pride of the Coombe
From: GUEST,Mrr

Did she strangle a sailor with the straps of her bra?

14 Oct 14 - 01:55 AM (#3668885)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Biddy Mulligan, the Pride of the Coombe
From: MartinRyan

Different Biddy - McGrath...!

Regards