Limerick Rake
"Limerick Rake" is a traditional Irish song whose composer is disputed. The lyrics are set to the tune of an earlier song titled "Agús fagaimid siúd mar atá sé".[1] The lyrics likely date to the late 18th century, as attested by the use of the place-name "Castletown Conyers" (which was still seen referred to by its former name "Castletown McEnyry" as late as 1763[2]) and the mention of the deaths of Lord Devonshire (1764) and John Damer (1776).
The song appeared in Colm Ó Lochlainn's 1939 publication Irish Street Ballads and has been recorded by a number of notable artists.
Lyrics[]
I am a young fellow that's easy and bold; My parents had reared me to shake and to mow, If you chance for to go to the town of Rathkeale, Now to quarrel for riches, I ne'er was inclined; |
The old cow could be milked without clover or grass; If I chance for to go to the market of Croom, Now there's some say I'm foolish, there's some say I'm wise, But now for the future I think I'll get wise |
Notes[]
- ^ A town in County Limerick, situated five km south of Ballingarry, on the road from Rathkeale to Charleville.
- ^ A reference to the expression "sow one's wild oats". The phrase dates to the 1560s, and during the 16th and 17th century dissolute or wild young men were called 'wild oats'.
- ^ Translates roughly to English as "And that's enough said about that" or "And we'll leave it at that."
- ^ A region in County Tipperary southeast of Ballingarry, and southwest of Knockshigowna.
- ^ A "spancel". is a rope for fettering a cow's hind legs while she is milked.
- ^ Pronounced (and translates to English) as "spree".
Notable recordings[]
- The Wolfe Tones on their 1965 debut album The Foggy Dew
- The Dubliners on their 1967 album A Drop of the Hard Stuff (sung a capella by Ciaran Bourke)
- The Clancy Brothers on their 1970 album Welcome to Our House
- Paddy Reilly on his 1972 album At Home
- Christy Moore on his 1976 self titled album[4]
- The Pogues on the reissue of their 1989 album Peace and Love
- Ronnie Drew on his 1999 album The Humour Is on Me Now
- The Irish Rovers on their 2002 album Another Round (as "The Rake")
References[]
- ^ "Songs of Clare".
- ^ "Can conservation efforts save the ruined church at Castletown Conyers?". 2019-12-13. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
- ^ Hendrickson, Robert (2008). Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins, Fourth Edition. New York: Facts on File. p. 778. ISBN 978-0-8160-6966-8.
- ^ "Christy Moore".
- Irish ballads
- 20th-century songs
- The Dubliners songs
- The Pogues songs
- Song stubs