School: Tuairín Árd (roll number 14078)

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1. The Bogs of Macakeón

   

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   These few verses were written by Jack Sugrue, a servant boy to make a laughing stock of Michael Donoghue, a neighbouring farmer in Tooreenard. Now Donoghue thought he was a bit of a poet himself and he often, made verses about his neighbours, especially about poor Sugrue. Here is Sugrue's answer to him, when O'Donoghue's horse named Dolly, went bogging in the bogs of Macakeón.
   i
   It being on a Summer's evening, in the merry month of May,
   The ground around was gaily crowned, and everyone seemed gay.
   When O Donoghue, came running up, and loudly he did moan,
   Saying my Dolly, she is bogging in the bogs of Macakeón.
   ii
   Mick Cronin was the first man to answer to his call,
   He sent down to Mikie Mickey's if the lads were there at all,
   "Be cripes, then Jer, run up to Thige's, and see if he is at home.
   And tell him hurry quickly to the bogs of Macakeón.
   iii
   Bob Mike and Danny Sullivan soon rallied to the cry.
   And out through Cahill's trenches, like greyhounds they did fly.
   And when they came to the fateful spot where the horse did snort and groan
   Saying now my boys we must use our strength in the Bogs of Macakeón.
   iv
   They started digging around her, with shovels and with pikes,
   And to their aid came dashing up, that gallant Sonny Mike.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

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

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Liam Ó Murchadha

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Knocknagashel, Co. Kerry

   Informant

   Jack Sugre

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   28

   Address

   Tooreenard, Co. Kerry