Poems and Ballads

[brownster]

Hi I am trying to trace with no luck so far two poems/ballads associated with the 1946 and 1955 All Irelands. I have asked many people young and old no joy yet
The 1946 Poem/ballad starts as;
''The month it was September.......
The 1955 starts as;
''Hurray my lads the job is done''

Any help is greatly appreciated.
I have tried the county library old kerry papers archives but agin no joy. They may have been opublished but probably later after the All Ireland over the winter months??

Thanks

[hamish]

I found the 1955 ballad in a collection of old news paper clippings belonging to my dad ... not sure which paper it's from.
It's titled "Triumph of Kerry's Green and Gold".

Hurrah, my lads, the task is done,
And down the gleaming rails
Fast speeding towards the setting sun,
Come home our Kerry Gaels.
We went in hope, we're home in joy,
Tis like the days of yore,
When men like Sheehy kindled fires
From Brandon to Rathmore

But Sheehy's spirit lives again,
His son is here today
And wearing on his youthful breast
A medal from the fray
And round him stood like rocks awash,
Or Skelligs in a gale,
The boys who held the "Slashers" dash
And made old Dublin fail

The game was but some seconds on
When Lyne shoy o'er the bar,
But came a Dublin counter blast
And scores were at a par
Then Freaney, wizard forward,
Sent up the flag once more
But Tadhgie Lyne soon answered that
With an equal brilliant score

To make the measure full and sweet
He added one for luck
Long may he live beside the Lakes
And then our captain struck!
John Dowling, leader of our team
Had made it four to two
Till twenty minutes had elapsed
When Boyle drove straight and true.

At four to three twas close indeed
But Garry stood his ground
And wave and wave of Dublin raids
Off Roche and Cronin bound;
These wild attacks were beaten back
And just before half time
The leather sped like bullet hot
A point by Tadhgie Lyne

Two points by Con's son Doctor Jim
Had filled our hearts with joy
Boyle scored once more, twas seven -four
Til Freaney and John Joe
Had points that made it eight to five
And how the crowd did roar
When Boyle again sent o'er the bar
To notch another score.

Sheehy's son said "Nine to six"
But Lyne could see no stop
And made it ten good points to six
With Kerry well on top
Said Murphy, "Give a chap a chance
Eleven is the score"
"You're wrong" said Lyne, "it's twelve
to six
And cleared the bar once more.

Where are they now, the Dublin stars,
We cried as rose the toll,
But the green flag waved, twas Freaney's
shot
Beat Kerry for a goal
They tried again to beat our men,
Who stood like those of old
Till the whistle blew in triumph flew
The Kingdom's green and gold.

God Bless you, Roche and Palmer
And Murphy, number two
You two O'Shea's, brave Sheehan
And Costelloe so true
And gallant Moriarty, though injured in
the fray,
Fought hand to win in battle grim,
The shining cup that day.

And Culloty, full forward right,
A threat to Dublin's backs,
He flickered here and darted there
And guided fierce attacks.
Oh Dublin town is long and wide
It's men are strong and bold,
But we beat their pick, through thin and
thick
The Doctor's training told!


The clipping features an introduction to the ballad which reads as follows - "We have pleasure in publishing the following verses submitted by a reader, not because the writer has tried to give a chronologically correct picture of the game but because they typify the feeling of pride and joy at the triumph of their team which is felt by Kerry folk."
And the name at the end of the ballad is P.CROWLEY, Headford, Co. Kerry. I'm not sure if this is the author or of it's just someone who submitted it to the paper.

[Aine]

brownster, not sure if this is the one you are looking. It starts 'The month it was October... ' not September.


WHO CAN BEAT THE KINGDOM SWEET?
(KERRY V ROSCOMMON, ALL-IRELAND,
1946 By Bryan MacMahon

The month it was October, aye, and forty-six the year
When Kerry and Roscommon clashed to make the victory clear.
Roscommon’s captain bragged before the glorious game began:
‘Today we’ll beat the Kingdom sweet, at horse or hound or man!’

Then up stepped Pat Bawn Brosnan from Dingle’s beauteous side;
‘I fought,’ said he, ‘with many a sea and many a raging tide,
As by the Blaskets foaming flank my fishing smack I ran –
For who can beat the Kingdom sweet, at horse or hound or man?’

Roscommon’s fields they may be sweet and soft the sheep lands there;
But, better far, the Southerners are reared out on mountain air.
And though our foes be sterling men and strive as heroes can,
Yet non may beat the Kingdom sweet from horse or hound or man.

I bid you, men, remember then the lovely hills of home,
The mountains brown o’er Dingle town, Valentia in the foam,
The Silver Feale, and sweet Tralee, Killarney’s heavenly plan –
For non may beat the Kingdom sweet for horse or hound or man.

Then out from all the thousands leaped a fleet Roscommon hare,
His colours caught the rising sun and floated free and fair;
But then a Kerry rooster crew as only roosters can:
‘O, none may beat the Kingdom sweet for horse or hound or man!’

Then to and from at centre-field the tide of battle rolled,
Till Casey and Pat Kennedy roused out the green and gold;
And when the final whistle blew the cheering people ran,
For none may beat the Kingdom sweet for horse or hound or man.

I pledge you ‘Danno’ in the ‘gap’, with Joe Keohane before,
Pat Bawn, the Lynes and Casey brave, who lead to every score;
Ted Connor and Pat Kennedy – Ned Walsh to lead the van!
O, who can beat the Kingdom sweet for horse or hound or man?

The forwards, too, I name them out, with ‘Gega’ in the lead,
Batt Garvey and Dan Kavanagh, with Falvey and O’ Keefe,
And lovely dark-haired Paddy Burke, who thrilled each partisan –
O, who can beat the Kingdom sweet for horse or hound or man?

I pledge you now Gus Cremin tall, that lithe Lisselton lad,
Who, fleet as deer, had gripped the sphere and drove all Ireland mad,
Who scored the final flaming point and crashed Roscommon’s plan –
For who can beat the Kingdom sweet for horse or hound or man?


I pledge you last within my verse the brave and friendly foe –
They’re sportsmen all, who played the ball in every ebb and flow;
But though they’re great, I now narrate to all Roscommon’s clan
Than none shall beat the Kingdom sweet for horse or hound or man.

[brownster]

Aine & hamish Míle Buíochas you have solved my problem! My Friend in Australia will be so pleased he has spent years searching for thse two ballads

[hamish]

No problem Brownster .... have been doing a lot of clearing and de-cluttering recently and have come across lots of match programmes, GAA books, GAA annuals, newspaper clipping etc, going back 50 years or so .... many of which feature lots of ballads and poems written about Kerry football!
Might get around to posting some more at some stage!