{"id":1208,"date":"2016-01-17T10:46:04","date_gmt":"2016-01-17T10:46:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/?p=1208"},"modified":"2016-01-17T10:46:04","modified_gmt":"2016-01-17T10:46:04","slug":"mrs-mc-grath-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/mrs-mc-grath-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Mrs Mc Grath (1)"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 id=\"t:seinnteoirin1\">Play recording: Mrs Mc&nbsp;Grath (1)<\/h2>\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-1208-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/00-micil\/me\u00e1in\/mrs-mc-grath-1.mp3?_=1\" \/><source type=\"audio\/ogg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/00-micil\/me\u00e1in\/mrs-mc-grath-1.ogg?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/00-micil\/me\u00e1in\/mrs-mc-grath-1.mp3\">https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/00-micil\/me\u00e1in\/mrs-mc-grath-1.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<div class=\"dmeite\">\n<p><span id=\"neasc-nocht-ceilth\" class=\"nmeite\">view \/ hide recording details [+\/-]<\/span><\/p>\n<ul id=\"clarMeiteashonrai\" class=\"meiteashonrai\">\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Teideal <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Title)<\/span>:<\/span> Mrs Mc&nbsp;Grath (1).<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Uimhir Chatal\u00f3ige Ollscoil Washington <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(University of Washington Catalogue Number)<\/span>:<\/span> 853904.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Uimhir Chnuasach Bh\u00e9aloideas \u00c9ireann <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(National Folklore of Ireland Number)<\/span>:<\/span> none.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Uimhir Roud <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Roud Number)<\/span>:<\/span> 678.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Uimhir Laws <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Laws Number)<\/span>:<\/span> none.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Uimhir Child <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Child Number)<\/span>:<\/span> none.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Cnuasach <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Collection)<\/span>:<\/span> Joe Heaney Collection, University of Washington, Seattle.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Teanga na Cro\u00edmh\u00edre <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Core-Item Language)<\/span>:<\/span> English.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Catag\u00f3ir <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Category)<\/span>:<\/span> song.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Ainm an t\u00e9 a thug <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Name of Informant)<\/span>:<\/span> Joe Heaney.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Ainm an t\u00e9 a th\u00f3g <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Name of Collector)<\/span>:<\/span> Lucy Simpson.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">D\u00e1ta an taifeadta <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Recording Date)<\/span>:<\/span> 07\/08\/1979.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Su\u00edomh an taifeadta <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Recording Location)<\/span>:<\/span> Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Oc\u00e1id an taifeadta <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Recording Occasion)<\/span>:<\/span> private.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Daoine eile a bh\u00ed i l\u00e1thair <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Others present)<\/span>:<\/span> unavailable.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">St\u00e1das ch\u00f3ipcheart an taifeadta <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Recording copyright status)<\/span>:<\/span> unavailable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8230;[this is] another Crimean War song<sup class=\"tagairt-n\u00f3ta-bun-leathanaigh\">1<\/sup>, about the sergeant of the army telling Mrs Mc&nbsp;Grath, who had only one son, wouldn&#8217;t her son look beautiful if he had a nice fur coat and a big cocked hat? And she said that would be fine, so they gave him the fur coat and the cocked hat and they took him away to the Crimea. And she was down at the shore every day waiting on every boat coming in to see was her son on the boat, and one day he did come. And he had a wooden leg, and the story goes on from there.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Oh, Mrs Mc&nbsp;Grath&#8217;, the sergeant said,<br \/>\n&#8216;Would you like to make a soldier out of your son Ted?<br \/>\nWith a nice fur coat and a big cocked hat<br \/>\nOh, Mrs Mc&nbsp;Grath, wouldn&#8217;t you like that?&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>With me too-rye-ah, fol-the-deedle-dah<br \/>\nToo-rya oo-rye oo-rye ah<br \/>\nWith the too-rye-ah, fol-the-deedle-dah<br \/>\nToo-rya oo-rye oo-rye ah.<br \/>\nLove beg the cracker-oh!<\/p>\n<p>Now, Mrs Mc&nbsp;Grath lived on the seashore<br \/>\nFor the space of seven long years or more<br \/>\n&#8216;Til she saw a big ship sailing into the quay<br \/>\n&#8216;It&#8217;s my son Ted, musha clear the way!&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>With me too-rye-ah, fol-the-deedle-dah<br \/>\nToo-rya oo-rye oo-rye ah<br \/>\nWith the too-rye-ah, fol-the-deedle-dah<br \/>\nToo-rya oo-rye oo-rye ah.<br \/>\nLove beg the cracker-oh!<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Oh captain, dear, where have you been?<br \/>\nHave you been on the Mediterranean Sea?<br \/>\nOr have you any tidings of my son Ted?<br \/>\nIs the poor boy living or is he dead?&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>With me too-rye-ah, fol-the-deedle-dah<br \/>\nToo-rya oo-rye oo-rye ah<br \/>\nWith the too-rye-ah, fol-the-deedle-dah<br \/>\nToo-rya oo-rye oo-rye ah.<br \/>\nLove beg the cracker-oh!<\/p>\n<p>Out walked Ted without any legs<br \/>\nIn their place were two wooden pegs<br \/>\nShe kissed him a dozen times or two<br \/>\nSaying, &#8216;Holy Moses! It isn&#8217;t you!&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>With me too-rye-ah, fol-the-deedle-dah<br \/>\nToo-rya oo-rye oo-rye ah<br \/>\nWith the too-rye-ah, fol-the-deedle-dah<br \/>\nToo-rya oo-rye oo-rye ah.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Oh, Teddy me boy&#8217;, the widow cried,<br \/>\n&#8216;Your poor fine legs were your mammy&#8217;s sight!<br \/>\nThose stumps of a tree won&#8217;t do at all<br \/>\nWhy didn&#8217;t you run from the big cannonball?&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>With me too-rye-ah, fol-the-deedle-dah<br \/>\nToo-rya oo-rye oo-rye ah<br \/>\nWith the too-rye-ah, fol-the-deedle-dah<br \/>\nToo-rya oo-rye oo-rye ah.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Oh, were you drunk or were you blind<br \/>\nThat you left your two fine legs behind?<br \/>\nOr was it walking on the sea<br \/>\nSwept your two fine legs from the knees away?&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>With me too-rye-ah, fol-the-deedle-dah<br \/>\nToo-rya oo-rye oo-rye ah<br \/>\nWith the too-rye-ah, fol-the-deedle-dah<br \/>\nToo-rya oo-rye oo-rye ah.<br \/>\nLove beg the cracker-oh!<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Oh, I wasn&#8217;t drunk and I wasn&#8217;t blind<br \/>\nWhen I left my two fine legs behind<br \/>\nBut a cannonball on the first of May<br \/>\nStole my two fine legs from the knees away.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>With me too-rye-ah, fol-the-deedle-dah<br \/>\nToo-rya oo-rye oo-rye ah<br \/>\nWith the too-rye-ah, fol-the-deedle-dah<br \/>\nToo-rya oo-rye oo-rye ah.<br \/>\nLove beg the cracker-oh!<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Now foreign wars do I declare<br \/>\nBetween Don John and the King of Spain<br \/>\nAnd be heaven, I&#8217;ll make them rue the day<br \/>\nThey took the legs of a child of mine!&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>With me too-rye-ah, fol-the-deedle-dah<br \/>\nToo-rya oo-rye oo-rye ah<br \/>\nWith the too-rye-ah, fol-the-deedle-dah<br \/>\nToo-rya oo-rye oo-rye ah.<br \/>\nLove beg the cracker-oh!<\/p>\n<p>Well it&#8217;s not a very good song but I suppose &#8217;twill do!<\/p>\n<div class=\"n\u00f3ta\u00ed-bun-leathanaigh\">\n<h2 id=\"t:notai\">Notes<\/h2>\n<p class=\"n\u00f3ta-bun-leathanaigh\">1. In fact, this song doesn&#8217;t date from the Crimean War but from the Napoleonic period and specifically (going by the last verse) from the time of the Peninsular Campaign. But Joe is correct in calling attention to the similarity between Mrs Mc&nbsp;Grath and the likes of Patrick Sheehan (The Glen of Aherlow) as both were anti-recruitment songs, helping Irish people to understand that, notwithstanding the momentary temptation of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/King's_shilling\">The King&#8217;s shilling<\/a>, joining the British Army wasn&#8217;t a healthy career choice.<\/p>\n<p>Joe also recorded this song as a duet with Scottish singer Geordie Mac&nbsp;Intyre, singing the verses in alternation. The contrasting styles of the two singers is fascinating.<\/p>\n<p>Joe&#8217;s clarification near the start of this recording, prompted by Lucy, is of the <em>spelling<\/em> but not the <em>pronunciation<\/em> of the surname Mc&nbsp;Grath. Readers unfamiliar with the name should note that it is pronounced &#8216;ma-graa&#8217; rather than &#8216;ma-grath&#8217; or &#8216;ma-grat&#8217;.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"templates\/template-full-width.php","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-amhrain","category-amhrain-i-mbearla"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1208"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1208\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1209,"href":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1208\/revisions\/1209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}