School: An Mhainistir, Malla (roll number 12519)
- Location:
- Mallow, Co. Cork
- Teacher: An Bráthair Lúcás
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0369, Page 545
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- An old quarryman named Stephen Connell, who lived in Bowling Green (in olden times what is now known as "the Pool" was the local "Bowling Green) made several poems and wrote (in English and Irish) some songs. He was the only member of his family gifted in this way.
There lived in Broom Lane (now Mill Street) an over-zealous Water Bailiff, who was a source of terror to the local poachers and was continually bringing them before the Court. The fines imposed were sometimes too heavy for the culprits to pay and they had to go to jail.
Needless to say this Bailiff (named William Sheehan) was hated by the young men of the town and Stephen Connell was ordered to write a song about him which is as follows;-I
Billy was bad from his cradle,
Since the devil first taught him to lisp,
He's excluded from Hell and from Heaven,
To wander with "Will o' the Wisp".(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Mrs Flynn
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 50
- Address
- Mallow, Co. Cork
