School: Ballinakillew (roll number 8433)
- Location:
- Baile na Coilleadh, Co. Dhún na nGall
- Teacher: Mary K. Nutt
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1031, Page 484
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- XML “The Poor Man's Friend”
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Come all ye loyal young men, I hope yous will draw near;
I hope you’ll pay attention to what you’re going to hear.
It is of a few verses that I incline to pen(d),
Concerning a few sporting blades they call the poor man’s friends.2
It happened on one evening, as I heard the people say,
It was straight on to Glen Ainy we carelessly did stray,
Where we heard a voice saying: “Come, my boys, compassion on me take;
The chains of my oppressors will yous help me for to break?”3
So boldly we stepped forward to hear the sad lament,
And by his information ‘twas straight to work we went
For to repair a dwelling-house and that without delay;
We built it, roofed, and finished it two hours before the day.4
There were carpenters and architects all in this joyful band,
And likewise some good engineers for to lay down the plans;
When we did commence our work, it would your heart delight
To see the lovely building was erected there that night.5
When we got all things finished, our Captain he did say:
“I’ll give you full possession of your house and land today;
A poor man’s cause we will maintain in country, land, and town,
And those that will object our cause we’ll surely cut them down.”6
“For those that held possession of this poor man’s piece of land,
He need not be uneasy, we extend to him our hand;
Nor need he say by night or day that we have done a wrong;
We would soon pull down another house, let the walls be e’er so strong.”7
Now to conclude and finish, I have to spare my pen;
I hope in these few verses I have said nothing wrong;
Good luck attend all those young men, where they do go;
They’re a terror to their country and a terror to their foes.
(laouna here in original)
They do protect, they’ll do their best to keep those forfewes’ down,
They’re as loyal to their country as Prince Albert to the Crown.---this has been copied from a rough original in pencil on two loose sheets in the Ballinakillew school Notebook. Above the title on the original were the words: “Date of year 1847.”