School: Ballyroddy (roll number 12629)

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1. Local Poets (continued)

   

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   was engaged fighting the Boers in South Africa, and the Boers had great successes when the war first started. The football song was made to commemorate the winning of the cup, by a team called the Croke, who were in the parish about 50 years ago. He composed his songs in English, as he knew no Irish. Paddy was a labourer, and he composed his songs on a wet day when he could not be out working, and he could neither read nor write. He went one day to a hedge school and he was held in great respect by all the neighbours. I never heard my Mother say that there was any power attributed to him. His songs are all sung locally. My mother often heard him talking about the 'bad times' when the people had nothing to eat only water-cress and they used to slice up raw turnip and roast it on the coals to eat it. Paddy was walking up and down the road one day outside his house when two strange travelers (men) came along and they asked him "where is this road going to" my good man. "I am

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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

   Alphonsus Ruske

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Shankill, Co. Roscommon

   Informant

   Mrs Rushe

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Shankill, Co. Roscommon