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Lyr Add/Tune Request: The Boys of Fairhill

01 Nov 99 - 03:44 PM (#130538)
Subject: The Boys of Fairhill
From: Clifton 53

Does anyone have the lyrics to this number? I have it on a Wolfe-Tones live record and some lyrics are difficult for me to understand. They say it is a song from County Cork. Thanks , Clifton

01 Nov 99 - 06:44 PM (#130624)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE BOYS OF FAIRHILL (from Jimmy Crowley)
From: Susanne (skw)

This is how Jimmy Crowley sings it:


THE BOYS OF FAIRHILL (from Jimmy Crowley)

Come boys 'tis there you'll see lads and lassies in their glee
Evergreen bowers would make your heart thrill
The boys they won't harm you the girls soft will charm you
Here's up them all cried the boys of Fairhill

Come boys and have a drink of Fahy's well spring water
If you feel dry you are welcome there still
It's better than Beamish's or J. J. Murphy's porter
That has been proved by the boys of Fairhill

Come boys round by Gurranabraher there you will see the fields so green
Where the sun shines in splendour the lark sweetly sings
Thousands cross the briney foam just to kiss the Blarney stone
You can view it alone from the groves of Fairhill

Come boys and have a day with our hurling team so gay
The crackling of the ash it would make your heart thrill
Talk about the Kerry pike let them all come if you like
They're bound to be knocked out by the boys of Fairhill

Come boys and have a day with our Harriers Club so gay
Around the Croppy Boy and the old road called the Cill
Where many a bloody Black and Tan and their treacherous Saxon clan
Were all laid low by the boys of Fairhill

Come on boys and have a day with our bowling club so gay
The loft of the bowl it would make your heart thrill
When you hear the Shea boy say - Timmy Delaney has won the day
We beat them all says the boys of Fairhill

Come boys out to our club and from that to Quinlan's pub
Where our gallons we'll fill our porter will flow
We'll drink a health to Dashwood's race as we tap the half o' tierce
That's the stuff to give 'em says the boys of Fairhill

[1977:] This is one of the best known of Cork songs. Wherever Cork people gather in celebration you're sure to hear De Boys at some stage. Originally it was a song in praise of Cork's traditional pastimes, bowling, drag-hunting and hurling. Because of its popularity, verses were added and the original has almost been forgotten. This version learnt from Paul Frost is probably close to the original. A few of the north city landmarks are mentioned - Quinlans Pub in Blackpool also known as the Harrier Bar, the haunt of the local beaglers and, by way of contrast, Fahy's Well, near Wash Brew Lane famous for the purity of its spring water. (Notes Jimmy Crowley, 'The Boys of Fair Hill')

[1998:] I have purposely scuttled the more recent vulgar verses and have returned to the original lyric which I collected in 1976 from Hadda O'Callaghan of Blacpool, Cork, brother of the author Séan. It seems less a city song here and more a pastourelle. Not surprisingly, as almost all of Cork's Northside was then open country and famous for the singing of its larks. (Jimmy Crowley, notes 'Uncorked!')

Also, we had a thread on it beginning in early 1997 which gave some more interesting info. I just can't find it again. - Susanne
^^
Suzanne: BR is break, not B. fixed by S of DT

01 Nov 99 - 07:59 PM (#130660)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE BOYS OF FAIRHILL (soccer version)
From: Reiver 2

Here are the words that I have -- I think I got them from a Wolfe-Tones record. I believe this version is sung mostly by soccer fans at games.

BOYS OF FAIRHILL (soccer version)

Here's up 'em all, says the boys of Fairhill.

The smell on Patrick's bridge is wicket (wicked)
How does Father Matthew stick it?
Here's up 'em all, says the boys of Fairhill.

Well, Blarney hens don't lay at all,
And when they lays, they lays 'em small.
Here's...(etc.)

Well, Blackpool girls are very rude.
They go swimming in the nude.
Here's (etc.)

Dublin girls are very nice.
I have tried them once or twice.
Here's (etc.)

If you come to Cork, you'll get drisheen,
And Murphy's stout and pigs' crubeens.
Here's (etc.)

Well, Christy Ring, he hooked the ball.
We hooked him up then, balls and all.
Here's (etc.)

(repeat verse 1)

I think Christie Ring was a well known soccer player, and there's also a story about Patrick's bridge and Father Matthew, but I can't remember the details. Perhaps someone from the British Isles (does that term still include Ireland?) can help with explanations -- including what are drisheen and pigs' crubeens, and whether or not I'm spelling those terms correctly!

01 Nov 99 - 08:22 PM (#130673)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Boys of Fairhill
From: Reiver 2

Susanne, just saw your post. Thanks for the "real" Boys of Fairhill and the background information. Much better than the version sung by the Wolfe Tones on "'Till Ireland A Nation", which is the version I have. Thanks again.

02 Nov 99 - 01:48 AM (#130773)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Boys of Fairhill
From: Philippa

somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I think drisheen is black pudding (blood sausage) and crubeens are pig's feet (for eating). Crubeens are also referred to in the song "the Galway Races".
Irish spellings: drisín, crúibín

02 Nov 99 - 06:16 AM (#130801)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Boys of Fairhill
From: Martin Ryan

Father Matthew was thre "apostle of temperance". Christy Ring was a famous hurler - a kind of ice hockey on grass (or field hockey on speed, I suppose).

Regards

02 Nov 99 - 02:21 PM (#130940)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Boys of Fairhill
From: johnpmurphy@hotmail.com

Drisheen is indeed a type of blood sausage.Pigs blood to be precise and it usually boiled in milk and onions with lots of white pepper.Crubeens are pigs feet with the toes removed ,boiled for about three hours till the flesh is falling off the bone,after a feed of pints there is nothing nicer as we say in Cork "Me Dazza"

02 Nov 99 - 05:57 PM (#131017)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Boys of Fairhill
From: JTT

Drisheen is a Cork version of black pudding - a spiced blood pudding. Crubeens are salted pig's feet, very gelatinous, usually eaten boiled with cabbage added at the end and nice floury spuds smothered in butter.

The lyrics of the song are far too rude to comment on. And it's certainly a libel on the bantams of Blarney. Christy Ring was a hurler, playing a kind of blood sport related to karate, ice-hockey on grass (only for men) and sabre-fighting. Father Mathew was a campaigner against alcohol, who founded the Pioneers, a group of very holy men who don't drink at all (or in Cork, at all at all).

02 Nov 99 - 05:58 PM (#131019)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Boys of Fairhill
From: JTT

Oh, and British Isles - it's probably more tactful to talk about "Ireland and Britain"!

03 Nov 99 - 01:25 PM (#131325)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE BOYS OF FAIRHILL (from Irish Weavers)
From: MudGuard

I have a different set of lyrics to the "unreal" version of this song.
I tried to transcribe it from an Irish Weavers recording.
Can somebody help me with the first line? What I wrote down is what I think I heard, but it does not make a lot of sense.
Thanks, MudGuard


THE BOYS OF FAIRHILL

So Shannon needs those anvil slaves
The river meets those underneath

Chorus
Hails of them all,
Says the boys of Fair Hill
The stink on Patrick's bridge is wicked
How does Father Matthew stick it

Well thousands come across the world
Just to kiss that Blarney stone

And if you want to join our club
Just come along to Murphy's pub

03 Nov 99 - 02:49 PM (#131353)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Boys of Fairhill
From: Reiver 2

Many thanks to all of you from Philippa on to Mudguard. Very edifying and helpful information. Still one question: the connection between Patrick's Bridge (am I wrong in assuming it's in or near Cork?!)and Father Murphy? Is the "wicked" smell, the smell of a nearby brewery and both near Father Murphy's church, or something like that? Just curious. Good suggestion JTT -- I'll try to break a habit of sixty or more years and stop referring to the "British Isles" at all, at all. I had a notion that it would be politically incorrect nowadays but was in too much of a hurry to try to think of the proper term. (And I note particularly that it's "Ireland and Britain" and not the other way around.) Thanks.

One more point/question: I can't fit the words from the Jimmy Crowley version, to the Wolfe Tones tune. IS there more than one tune, then, as I suspect, to Boys of Fairhill?

13 Nov 99 - 05:02 PM (#135631)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE BOYS OF FAIRHILL (from Jimmy Crowley)
From: Susanne (skw)

Reiver2, I've listened again to Jimmy Crowley's version and found small differences between what is printed in the booklet (which was what I posted earlier) and what he actually sings. This may help you :


THE BOYS OF FAIRHILL
(from Jimmy Crowley)

Come on boys and you'll see lads and lasses in their glee
Evergreen bowers would make your heart thrill
The boys they will not harm you the girls they all will charm you
Here's up 'em all says the boys of Fairhill

Come boys and have a drink of Fahy's well spring water
Though you are dry you are welcome here still
'Tis better than the Guinness's or J. J. Murphy's porter
That has been proved by the boys of Fairhill

Come boys round by Gurranabraher tis there you'll see the fields so green
The sun shines in splendour the lark sweetly sings
Thousands come from o'er the foam just to kiss th' old Blarney stone
You can view it alone from the groves of Fairhill

Come on boys and spend the day with our hurling club so gay
The clash of the ash it would make your heart thrill
Talk about the Kerry pike let them all come if they like
They're bound to be knocked out by the boys of Fairhill

Come on boys and spend the day with our harrier pack so gay
Around the Croppy Boy and th' old road called the Cill
Where many's the bloody Black and Tan and the treacherous Saxon gang
Were all laid low by the boys of Fairhill

Come on boys and spend the day with our bowling club so gay
The loft of the bowl it would make your heart thrill
When you hear the Shea boy say - Timmy Delaney's won the day
But we beat them all says the boys of Fairhill

Come boys up to Quinlan's pub that is where you'll join our club
Round us in gallons the porter does flow
And first we tap the half o' tierce drink a health to Dashwood's race
That's the stuff to give 'em says the boys of Fairhill

I've also listened to the Wolfe Tones recording. They use the same tune, with one slight variant. At the end of the second line, which is the same as the fourth line in the WT version, Jimmy Crowley takes the third last note high (about two full notes higher that WT, I'd say) and goes down from there. (Sorry, I'm not a musician and can't explain better.) It is a small thing but has the effect of making the tune more lively and less - yes, I'll say it - boring. Also, he takes it a little faster and seems to be able to sing more syllables at a time than other people. - Susanne

14 Nov 99 - 06:48 AM (#135856)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Boys of Fairhill
From: Martin _Ryan

As mentioned earlier. Father Matthew was a famous temperance preacher in the 19th C. His statue stands on Patrick's Bridge, in the centre of Cork City. A Cork man would always sing "How DO Father..." rather than "How DOES...."!

"half-a-tierce" is a small barrell.

Jimmy Crowley's version is intensely local in reference. As you move further from Cork, the bawdy-factor usually increases disporoprtionately!

Regards

01 Apr 03 - 12:11 PM (#923645)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Boys of Fairhill
From: MMario

Tune anyone?

30 Oct 03 - 12:10 PM (#1044639)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Boys of Fairhill
From: MMario

tune?

16 Dec 11 - 05:27 PM (#3275095)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: The Boys of Fairhill
From: MartinRyan

To hear Jimmy Crowley's version:

Click here

Regards

18 Sep 12 - 05:24 AM (#3406630)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add/Tune Request: The Boys of Fairhill
From: Joe Offer

Can anybody send me a MIDI for this melody?
joe@mudcat.org

18 Sep 12 - 10:32 AM (#3406734)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add/Tune Request: The Boys of Fairhill
From: GUEST,leeneia

MIDI sent to Joe. Watch this space.

24 Sep 12 - 01:05 AM (#3409284)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add/Tune Request: The Boys of Fairhill
From: Joe Offer

Here's Leeneia's MIDI.

Click to play (joeweb)


Doesn't work for me. I'll ask her to send another.

24 Sep 12 - 09:45 AM (#3409399)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add/Tune Request: The Boys of Fairhill
From: GUEST,leeneia

I'm sorry, Joe. It's no go. For some crazy reason, my saved file of 'Fairhill' is empty. And although it is a short tune, it was surprisingly hard to write down. I don't have the time to try again.

I checked the MIDI for Adieu Madras. It doesn't play, but it saves just fine. (i.e. I copied it back into Noteworthy under a new name, opened the new name, and it was okay.)

'Fairy Annie'Wedding doesn't play either. Is there an incompatibility between your new software and my old Noteworthy? Because I'm not doing anything different.

24 Sep 12 - 10:46 AM (#3409419)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add/Tune Request: The Boys of Fairhill
From: GUEST,CrazyEddie

Mudgards Post November 99 gives ther opening lines as:

So Shannon needs those anvil slaves
The river meets those underneath

This should be:
The ShanDon bells ring out so sweet,
The river LEE flows underneath.

The Shandon bells are a major feature in songs, poems, or stories partaining to Cork (city).