School: San Leonard, Ballycullane
- Location:
- Saintleonards, Co. Wexford
- Teacher: Mary B. Dunphy
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0871, Page 103
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- Mary Anne Murphy
In the stirring days of the Land League - New Ross was a 'Mecca' for ballad singers, and stirring ballads were sung and sold on its then busy streets. Crowds gathered round each and drank in the music and the words. Mary Anne Murphy was the Queen of the 'Ballad'. Every Saturday she occupied the Square at the Tholsol surrounded by an admiring crowd for Mary Anne suited action to words in her songs, and her voice rang the town. One of her ballads was about "Balfour's Brutal Bill" --- which she sang surrounded sometimes surrounded [crossed out] by police.
Here is the chorus as given to me by one who often heard her.
I have also noted down the Tonic-Sol-Fa notes of the air as sung to me"In his ould yellow lugs
mmmmmm
May fleas and bugs
mrrr
Increase and build their nests
rdddrm
And may every bug and flea
mrddddt,
From this to Bombay
t,l,l,l,s,
Deprive him of his rest."
t,d l,t,t,l,
There were many verses and the end line of every verse as "And you know who I mean when I'm winkin" -- Here she winked round the crowd, who all laughed,
- Collector
- Mary B. Dunphy
- Gender
- Female
- Occupation
- Teacher
- Informant
- Miss Lizzie Connolly
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 90
- Address
- Maudlins, Co. Wexford
