The Man From The Daily Mail

Peadar Mac Ghiolla Chearra | Percy French

Now Ireland’s a very funny place, sir
It’s a strange and a troubled land
And the Irish are a very funny race, sir
Every girl’s in the Cumann na mBan
Every doggie wears a tri-coloured ribbon
Tied firmly to its tail
And it wouldn’t be surprising
If there’d be another rising
Said the man from the Daily Mail

Every bird upon my word
Is singing treble – I’m a rebel
Every hen it’s said is laying hand grenades
Over there sir, I declare Sir
And every cock in the farmyard
Stock crows in triumph for the Gael
And it wouldn’t be surprising
If there’d be another rising
Said the man from the Daily Mail

Now the other day I travelled down to Clare, sir
I spied in an old boreen
A bunch of busy gooses there, sir
Dressed in orange, white and green
They marched to the German goose step
As they whistled Grann na bheal
and I’m shakin’ in me shoes
As I’m sending out the news
Said the man from the Daily Mail

Now the whole place is seething with sedition
It’s Sinn Fein through and through
All the peelers they are joining local units
And the password’s Sinn Fein too
Every doggie wears a tri-coloured ribbon
Tied firmly to its tail
And it wouldn’t be surprising
If there’d be another rising
Said the man from the Daily Mail

Finbar Boyle writes: This song was written, to the air of The Darling Girl From Clare, (which was composed by Percy French) by Peadar Mac Ghiolla Chearra from the town of Dundalk. I knew him as a boy, my father stopped him on the street and said ‘Peadar, my son can speak Irish.’ Agus do thosnaigh muid a’ labhairt le chéile agus gan ionam ach buachaillín.