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Any old (Irish) iron?

13 Jun 02 - 05:32 PM (#729495)
Subject: Any old (Irish) iron?
From: MartinRyan

While looking for possible DTStudy candidates, I came across the song "Any Old Iron?" in the DT. It's listed as Irish. Anyone know why?

Regards


13 Jun 02 - 05:52 PM (#729511)
Subject: RE: Any old (Irish) iron?
From: McGrath of Harlow

Well, it has been suggested that costermongers were originally Irish - as indicated by a quote in Ben Jonson's -play "The Alchemist", back in the early 1600s "Her father was an Irish costermonger"...

And costermongers of course have been the archetypical cockneys, and Harry Champion who sang this song was the archetypical cockney...

And that's about as strong a case for "Any Old Iron" being Irish as I think can be cobbled together.


13 Jun 02 - 05:54 PM (#729513)
Subject: RE: Any old (Irish) iron?
From: MartinRyan

Cobblers....?

Regards


13 Jun 02 - 08:56 PM (#729604)
Subject: RE: Any old (Irish) iron?
From: Bob Bolton

G'day Martin and McGrath,

Looking only at documentary sources ('m on the other side of the world ... but interested in the sources of Australian [unwilling] migration) I seem to remember Mayhew commenting, in one of his 1850 books, that many of the London costermongers were Irish - because it was an easily accessible (if scanty) living for newly-arrived, displaced people ... and this was just after the Great Famine!

However, selling apples doesn't take much capital or property ... dealing in junk and old iron needs: somewhere to put it (property) and enough money to afford to buy and hold before reselling (capital) - so I would expect that lay to be more local.

Of course, the song may be made up by Irish costermongers, on a slow day!

Regards,

Bob Bolton


13 Jun 02 - 09:05 PM (#729608)
Subject: RE: Any old (Irish) iron?
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)

See thread 47898 (clicky below). All is explained there. The "Irish" was a mistake. The song is as English as "Boiled Beef and Carrots."
Old Iron


14 Jun 02 - 03:18 AM (#729747)
Subject: RE: Any old (Irish) iron?
From: MartinRyan

Thanks, Dicho. Hadn't noticed that thread.

Regards


14 Jun 02 - 04:59 AM (#729766)
Subject: RE: Any old (Irish) iron?
From: Declan

Of course it could be a song about Norn' Iron :>)


14 Jun 02 - 06:38 AM (#729804)
Subject: RE: Any old (Irish) iron?
From: McGrath of Harlow

But isn't boiled beef and carrots a traditional Irish delicacy anyway?