Annotation:Peeler and the Goat (The)

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PEELER AND THE GOAT, THE (An Siotcoimeadaide Agus An Ga) AKA and see "Bansha Peelers,” “Cabin Buck,” “Cavan Buck" Irish (originally), American; Single Jig, Slide (12/8 time) or Air. USA, southwestern Pa. A Dorian (Bayard, Kennedy, Moylan, O'Neill, Roche): E Dorian (Bayard, Mac Amhlaoibh & Durham). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (Kennedy, Mac Amhlaoibh & Durham, Roche): AB (Bayard, O'Neill). The title comes from a satirical Munster song about the institution of a police force in Ireland by Sir Robert Peel; thus, a 'peeler' became a nineteenth century slang term for a policeman. The earliest Bayard found the tune was from Nov. 1842 in the Dublin Citizen's Magazine (reprinted by Moffat in 1897). O’Neill (1913) records that the song was composed by Darby Ryan (1779-1855), who lived near Lisheen, County Tipperary. Some place Ryan in Bansha, a small village half-way on the road between Cahir and Tipperary Town. A Donegal song, “An Gabhar Ban," is nearly exactly the same tune, and its words, while not comical, are similarly about an altercation between a goat and authority figures.

Dr. Hudson’s notes to the song (The Dublin Magazine, November, 1842) give:

[The song] is full of life and fun, as might be expected from the thoroughly Irish words that have been associated with it. We do not known the antient name of the air, which we obtained from our worthy ally,’’ [Galway piper] Paddy Conneely, under its present designation. When Peel introduced his police force into Ireland, they were universally detested by the natives for their tyrannical and inquisitorial character, so different from the military, whose place they were intended to take in the rural districts; the consequences was, that when the following admirable satire on that body was written, (we believe, by an Irish peasant) it spread like wildfire throughout the length and breadth of the land, and there was scearecly a village in the whole country, where the itinerant ballad singer did not reap a rich harvest, by shouting forth the popular song of:

‘’The Peeler and the Goat’’

As a Bansha Peeler was out one night, On duty and patrolling Oh!
He met a goat upon the road, That seemed to be a-strolling oh!
With bay’net fixed he sallied forth, And caught him by the weazen oh!
And thundered out a dreadful oath That he’d “send him to New Zealand oh!

(goat speaks):
”Oh mercy, sir,” the Goat replied, “Pray let me tell my story oh!
I am no rogue, nor Ribbonman, nor Croppy, Whig, nor Tory oh!
Nor guilty, sir, of any crime; Of petty or high treason oh!
Our tive is wantin’ at this time, For ‘tis the ranting season oh!

etc.

Sources for notated versions: Scottish fifer Dick Gibson via Hiram Horner (fifer from Westmoreland and Fayette Counties, Pa., 1960) and Mrs. Anastasia Corkery (Pa., 1930's; originally from County Cork) [Bayard]; accordion player Johnny O’Leary (Sliabh Luachra region of the Cork-Kerry border) [Moylan].

Printed sources: Bayard (Dance to the Fiddle), 1981; No. 443, pp. 412-413 and Appendix No. 40, p. 589. The Dublin Magazine, November, 1842; No. 39. Henebry (A Handbook of Irish Music), 1928; No. 56 and No. 57, p. 224. JIFSS, No. 6, p. 27. JFSS, vol. 2, p. 259 (2 sets). Kennedy (Fiddler's Tune-Book: Jigs & Quicksteps, Trips & Humours), 1997; No. 152, p. 37. Kidson (A Garland of English Folksongs), 1926; p. 76. Mac Amhlaoibh & Durham (An Pota Stóir: Ceol Seite Corca Duibne/The Set Dance Music of West Kerry), No. 72, p. 43 (appears untitled). Moylan (Johnny O'Leary of Sliabh Luachra), 1994; No. 306, p. 176. O'Neill (O’Neill’s Irish Music), 1915; No. 214, p. 114. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 296, p. 51. Stanford/Petrie (Complete Collection), 1903-06; No. 839. Roche (Collection of Traditional Irish Music, vol. 2), 1912; No. 241, p. 21.

Recorded sources:

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