School: Ballinamore (B.) (roll number 2820)

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   “Below is a short poem about the hanging of Roddy...”

   

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   Below is a sort of poem about the hanging of Roddy, the rope used to hang him is that referred to in the clues. P.66 this book.
   Collected by W. Farrell Standard VI. from Tom Brian (Crow) Church St..

   Come all you Roman Catholics
   I hope you will draw near
   It is of a lovely girl
   That lost her life we know
   By a false and lewd lover
   That took her from Banaloe.
   The reason that he murdered her
   Was for being a proven female
   The pride of Banaloe.

   'Tis now they've taken prisoners
   And laid in Carrick jail
   No hope of their release
   Or any sort of bail
   And if they're found guilty
   Like murders they'll stand
   On the front of Carrick jail
   To die by handman's hand.

   They called upon Thomas Baxter
   As his tears come rolling down
   'I'm not the murderer
   May God bring it round.'
   And he that was the murderer.
   That bloody sight to see
   That he may die a shameful death
   On the gallows tree.

   The next they called was John Roddy
   And his age was but twenty-four
   For the murder of this girl
   Away his life was swore
   God protect his children small
   Likewise his loving wife
   And the Lord look down upon them
   When he is in his grave.

   Before he parts this life
   He has one request to crave
   To shun all evil company
   May the Lord have mercy on his soul
   Good Christians for him pray.

   To see this lovely girl
   When combing down her hair
   There's not one in this country
   To her we could compare
   May vengeance overtake them
   And prove their overthrow
   That murdered Mary Maguire
   The Flower of Banaloe.

   God help her poor lamenting brother
   He's day and night bewailing
   And can find no relief
   Likewise her aged mother
   For she is grieving still
   Thinking of the woeful death
   Her daughter met in Cloverhill.

   That the porringers and pints
   May be *saurdered round his joints
   And burned day and night in his fire
   It is then he'll plainly say
   My curse light on the day
   That I murdered you sweet Mary Maguire.

   *saurdered is the word used locally for soldered. I don't know the origin of the word. Perhaps it is Irish. But more likely it is a mispronunciation of soldered which is very often pronounced sod.er.ed with the "l" silent.

   N.B. Her body was found on the mearing between Hugh Reynold's farm and Mrs. M. Bartin's farm at Tarmon. The spot is still pointed out. It is exactly opposite the back of Mrs. Bartin's house, on the left hand side of path leading from Oughteraugh to St. Bridget's Well. She was killed by a tinsmith. Roddy was innocent.
   S.oh.e

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. genre
      1. poetry
         1. folk poetry (~9,504)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   W. Farrell

   Gender

   Male

   Informant

   Tom Prior

   Gender

   Male