“Cork's Own Town (I)”

Description

"They may rail at the city where first I was born, But it's there they've the whisky, and butter and pork.." Cork's localities and specialies are described: Fishamble's food, Blackpool's leather, groves of Blarney's groves, Glanmire's shops ....

Notes

There's no question that "Cork's Own Town (I)" and "Cork's Own Town (II)" are related. They share a few slightly different lines. For example:

"Cork's Own Town (I)," "Och! Fishamble's the Eden for you, love, and me!" is the last line of the first verse and "Cork is the Eden...." for the other verses; "Cork's Own Town (II)," "Aarrh! Cork is the Eden for you love, and me!" is the last line of each verse.

"Cork's Own Town (I)," "If you want to behold the sublime and the beauteous, Put your toes in your brogues and see sweet Blarney Lane"; "Cork's Own Town (II)," "If you want to behold the sublime and the foolish Fix your toes in your brogues an[sic] walk down the Parade"

Nevertheless, while both catalog the Cork neighborhoods and attributes, they say different things about different neighborhhods. While neither is very serious "Cork's Own Town (II)" verges on parody.

Croker-PopularSongs: "The Editor has no doubt that the authorship may be correctly assigned to the writer of 'O! Blarney Castle, my Darling', and the subsequent song entitled 'Darling Neddeen.'" But, at "O! Blarney Castle, my Darling" he "has no doubt" that its author also wrote "Saint Patrick's Arrival." See that song if you are interested in Croker's speculations there." - BS

Cross references

  • cf. "They May Rail at This Life" (tune, according to Croker-PopularSongs)
  • cf. "Cork's Own Town (II)" (subject and some line fragments)

References

  1. Croker-PopularSongs, pp. 158-164, "Cork's Own Town" (1 text)
  2. BI, CrPS158

About

Author: unknown
Earliest date: 1825 (_Cork Southern Reporter_, according to Croker-PopularSongs)