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Lyr Req/Add: The Tailor Ban / An Tailliuir Ban

28 Dec 99 - 10:07 PM (#155017)
Subject: The Tailor Ban
From: Gary Martin

Does anybody out there know anything about the Irish song An Tailliuir Ban (The Tailor Ban)? I'm seeking lyrics and background. Is it an old song? Recent?

It's on the album by Jackie Daly and Seamus Creagh, but there's no information whatsoever in the liner notes... not even which one of them is singing it!

It's sung in English - I assume the title is given first in Irish because that's what the record label generally does. I suppose it could have originally been in Irish, but it doesn't sound like it.

Please cc a copy of any helpful reply to me at g1martin@umassd.edu (gee-one-martin), as I don't usually read here.

Thanks.

06 Jan 00 - 04:50 PM (#159121)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Tailor Ban
From: Martin _Ryan

Its relatively recent, as far as I remember. I think we may have had it in the Forum before - I'll have a look. Ohterwise, I'll see if I can locate a set of words.

Regards

p.s. The Tailor Bawn would be a nickname.

06 Jan 00 - 05:07 PM (#159134)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Tailor Ban
From: Stewie

If it's the same song, there is a song called 'The Tailor Ban' in Tomas O Canainn's 'Down Erin's Lovely Lee: Songs of Cork' Gilbert Dalton 1972. It starts: 'You neighbours come listen a moment and I'll sing you a sporting song'. O Canainn has this note:

One of the better known composers of the Coolea area, Sean (Johnny) O Tuama (Johnny Nora Aodha) is here analysing himself as a composer before going on to describe his drinking adventures with the tailor ban - the pair of them 'very fond of this porter, sure 'tis bulging out both our eyes'. Few people in West Cork would agree with his statement that 'the best of my tunes they are broken, but some others are going quite strong; though lately I've heard it outspoken that some of my notes were wrong'. The song was sung by Seamus Mac Mathuna.

If it's the song you want, I'll type out the lyrics later if no one else can readily supply.

Cheers, Stewie.

06 Jan 00 - 05:09 PM (#159139)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Tailor Ban
From: Stewie

Damn, I thought I put in the command.

06 Jan 00 - 05:12 PM (#159143)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Tailor Ban
From: Stewie

At least I've now learned something new: the close block quote command will work even if there's no block quote to close.

06 Jan 00 - 05:33 PM (#159164)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Tailor Ban
From: Martin _Ryan

Stewie

That's the song, alright!

Regards

06 Jan 00 - 07:00 PM (#159223)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Tailor Ban
From: Gary Martin

Thanks, that's the song. I'd love the lyrics. I'll probably have a go at it myself from the CD at some point - it's a good way to learn them - but I'll probably have a very hard time with some of the pronunciations.

Gary

06 Jan 00 - 10:28 PM (#159343)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Tailor Ban
From: Stewie

Here you go:

THE TAILOR BAN (Sean 'Johnny' O Tuama)

You neighbours come listen a moment and I'll sing you a sporting song
Although I'm not good at composing and I'd better not hold you long
The best of my tunes they are broken, but some others are going quite strong
Though lately I've heard it outspoken that some of my notes were wrong

For a dozen long years I've been shaping, singing and making rhymes
Though very often contrary and putting down airy times
Sleeping in very cold places, and often out late until dawn
Sure 'tis how I do hear them comparing myself and the tailor ban

A pair of rollicking sportsmen and we're nearly both of one size
And very fond of this porter, sure 'tis bulging out both our eyes
The people are saying we are topers, we often be out until dawn
For the dogs do be barking before us and they welcoming home Dan Ban

'Twas often I drank with this tailor at the markets or fair each time
On Sundays we'd doubt 'ere a failure, sure we thought that our sport was fine
He used to be acting ould capers and be singing his queer rawcan
With the landlady looking for payment and she cursing the tailor ban

Oh there wasn't a tramp in the nation, either ugly, fair or fine
Or a beggar of very low station but was putting down airy times
We drank with oul' journeymen, bakers and every queer sprawcan
You'd swear for to look at their features they were cousins of the tailor ban

Now we struck up a comical bargain, myself and Dan Ban last June
We'd go east to old Kilafadyen and 'tis there we'll be marching soon
A-ploughin' and digging their gardens and cutting out shapes of ban
And we'll make a mad trip to Kilgarvan, myself and the tailor ban

Myself will go in for Miss Foley and everyone knows she's fine
For her mother she often has told me the house and the place is mine
The tailor and Matty out poaching and not being home until dawn
Sure the mate and the fish will be roastin' for myself and the tailor ban

Then I will have the nice farm for myself and my charming wife
And soon see an end of this storm that is threatening me all my life
And if with a son or a daughter kind fortune should favour Sean
Let nobody ask who's the father, myself or the tailor ban

Oh but by herrings, he was a great tailor for cutting and shaping flies
Making game of the neighbours or telling them bare faced lives
But he turned to drinking completely with every queer crawmpan
And I've nothing to add in his favour, but good luck to the Tailor Ban

Source: Tomas O Canainn (ed) 'Down Erin's Lovely Lee: Songs of Cork' Gilbert Dalton Ltd 1978.

09 Jan 00 - 08:17 PM (#160525)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Tailor Ban
From: Gary Martin

Thanks.

13 Mar 08 - 04:47 PM (#2287688)
Subject: RE: Req/ADD: The Tailor Ban / An Tailliuir Ban
From: GUEST,What is a crawnpan please?

What is a crawnpan please?

All suggestions gratefully received.

Thanks
Bill

13 Mar 08 - 04:53 PM (#2287696)
Subject: RE: Req/ADD: The Tailor Ban / An Tailliuir Ban
From: MartinRyan

The word is anglicised from the Irish "crompán". It literally means a person crippled with rheumatism - but the sense here is of being unfussy about one's drinking companions!

Regards

14 Mar 08 - 03:43 PM (#2288517)
Subject: RE: Req/ADD: The Tailor Ban / An Tailliuir Ban
From: Jim Carroll

Willie Clancy sang it; think it's on the Topc Record 'The Minstrel From Clare".
Jim Carroll

25 Jul 14 - 09:15 PM (#3645348)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: The Tailor Ban / An Tailliuir Ban
From: GUEST

So glad to find this thread. I have a cassette copy of the Jackie Daily album, I taped off a friend's LP years ago in co. Tipperary (I live in Canada). I wrote nothing of the details of the album down. Lately I rediscovered the unmarked cassette and have been listening to it to death. Just found the John Lyons version on The May Morning Dew. Cheers.

26 Jul 14 - 02:45 AM (#3645384)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: The Tailor Ban / An Tailliuir Ban
From: Jim Carroll

This is the songs as we recorded it from John Lyons when he stayed with us in London in the 1970s, around the time he recorded the album May Morning Dew for Topic.
I've annotated it in preparation for our collection being put up on the Clare County Library website in the next couple of months.
There are a few more of John's songs in the collection - a wonderful singer with a fascinating repertoire, including a couple of very rare local ones from the Land Wars in County Clare in the 1800s
Jim Carroll

The Tailor Bán(Roud 9667)
John Lyons, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Recorded in London, April 1974
Carroll Mackenzie Collection

My neighbours come gather around me and I'll sing you a sporting song,
I'm not very good at composing, you'd better not wait too long.
The best of my strings they are broken, and more of them going quite wrong,
And it's lately I've heard it outspoken that some of my notes were strong.
For twelve long years I've been shaping, making and singing rhymes,
Most of them very contrary and pulling out airy times.
Drinking in very quare places, and not coming in 'till the dawn,
And it's lately I've heard them comparing myself and the tailor bán.

A couple of rollicking sportsmen, nearly both one size,
Both very fond of this porter, sure it's bulging out both our eyes.
Sleeping in very quare places, and not coming home 'till the dawn,
And the dogs would be barking before us, and welcoming home Dan Bán.
There wasn't a tramp in the nation, ugly, quare or fine,
Or a person of very low station who was pulling out airy times.
We drank with journeymen bakers and every quare crocán
You would think when you looked in their faces, they were cousins of tailor bán.

Well I struck up a comical bargain, myself and Dan Bán last June,
We'd go down to old Kilawaide, 'tis there we'd be marching soon.
And it's then we'd be picking the praties and rolling out hanks of bán
And we'd take an odd stroll to Kilgarvan, myself and the tailor bán
Myself I'd go into Moll Foley's for everyone knows she's fine,
And her parents have oftentimes told me that most of her money was mine.
The tailor and Jackeen were poaching and not coming in 'till the dawn.
And the fish and the meat would be roasting for myself and the tailor bán.

And it's then that I'll have a fine farm, myself and my darlin' wife,
And I won't be afraid of the storm that's been crushing me all of my life.
And if there's a son or a daughter then fortune may favour Sean,
'Twould be easy to know who's the father, myself or the tailor bán

A County Cork song, this is the note to Mrs. Elizabeth Cronin's version
"Johnny Nora Aodha (Sean O Tuama) composed this song from information provided by Mrs Cronin's son Seán Ó Cróinín's notebooks:
It used to be sung around Kilgarvan, and I think he was one of the Donoghues — Donal O'Donoghue. He was an odd sort; he's long dead. He spent his life in the parish of Kilgarvan, but his people were from Ballyvourney. His mother belonged to the Twomey's Seana-Chluan here in the parish of Ballyvourney; she was a sister of Pead Aodha's. He composed a lot of songs, and they were all in English but he had Irish as well as English. Everybody knew The Tailor Bawn many years ago, and any place there was a dance or a wedding, The Tailor Bawn would always be sung, and people laughing heartily at it, because there's fun in it.
The following Irish words occur: spréachán: a lively sort of person; creachán: lit. a small potato: clampán: perhaps the same as clampán, an antagonistic individual."

Ref:
The Songs of Elizabeth Cronin, Dáibhí Ó Cróinin (ed.), Four Courts Press, Dublin, 2000