Ballybrittas, County Laois, Ireland Beggars Bush 1920s

This site is recorded, so far as I can ascertain, only in a modern song referring to a local landmark. Although this site is close to the very early Beggars Bush at Philipstown, County Offally, it does not appear to have any connection with it. It may demonstrate the survival of the phrase is the region.

A website for Abbeyview Cottage, Jamestown, includes an account of a song supposed to have been written in the early 1920s recording events in the village by “John Delaney, a man who worked in this area in the ’20’s’, described what happened at this “ball” as he called it. My late father Paddy Dempsey (Pop) was always asked to sing this ballad, when there was a bit of a singsong . . . For the purpose of the ballad “Gawk Street” was probably the stretch of road from Jamestown Cross to the junction with Ballyadding Lane. “Beggars Bush” was an old tree near Cartwrights now long gone.“ The Cartwrights were neighbours.

The location is merely mentioned:

“Mike Lawlor ran in with the story to tell
Be the hokey says Mag sure the “owl” gates gone as well
There’s no law or order there’ll never be peace
’till they take every dam thing I have round the place.

“Oh out into Gawk Street poor Peter did rush
He thought he heard footsteps around Beggars Bush
Come on boys we have them he loudly did shout
But who was it but Mag who was prowling about”

Grid

N 58 07

Sources

Placenames Database of Ireland

Posted: April 24th, 2011 | Filed under: Places | Tags: Ballybrittas, County Offally, Ireland, Philipstown, bush, songs | No Comments »