Knowledge (XXG)

The Old Orange Flute

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Several books attribute authorship of the words to one Nugent Bohem, but this is a misreading of the title of a book containing the song from the Dublin publisher Nugent & Co:
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It has been claimed that the words were written by a nationalist as a parody of Orangeism and were first published in the nationalist journal
40: 77:, however, originated more recently, probably in the 19th century, when a variant of the tune was used to set an anonymously authored 130:, taking with him his flute. Enrolled into a Catholic church choir, he finds that the flute will only play Protestant songs such as 31:. Despite this, its humour ensured a certain amount of cross-community appeal, especially in the period before the commencement of 110:, under the title The Magic Flute, carries no explanation but a facetious attribution to Edward Carson, the unionist politician. 364: 214: 210: 349: 178: 106:
on 2 November 1912. This is clearly refuted by the existence of the two books from 1907. The publication in
57: 359: 73:, and has been called the "primal tune". Related fiddle tunes are found as early as the 18th century. 126:
named Brigid McGinn. Turned Papish himself, he forsook the ould cause" and was compelled to flee to
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in the late 1960s, and it has also been recorded by artists better-known for songs associated with
134:. Eventually the priest buys him a new instrument and the flute is condemned to be burned for 36: 78: 153:
Modern renditions of the song often include the repeated refrain "Sure it's six miles from
131: 188: 92:. The latter, published in New York, classifies the song as "Anonymous street ballad". 343: 166: 122:, who is considered a "stout Orange blade" by his associates. However, "he married a 44: 139: 70: 32: 28: 138:, though in the flames a "quare noise" can be heard as the flute still whistles " 235:
Shanties from the Seven Seas: Shipboard Work-songs and Songs Used as Work-songs
158: 62: 263:, Volume 2, Dodge Publishing Company, New York, 1907, p. 410, accessible on 119: 20: 69:), has been used with many variations for a large number of folk songs and 127: 217:
and sings the song whilst lying in wait for a pair of man-eating lions.
177:, and which was recorded by the Larne-reared but Southport-born singer 169:; the line is taken from the refrain (and title) of another folk song, 84:
The earliest known records of the words appeared in 1907 in two books:
24: 201:"Tooraloo! Tooralay! Oh, the twelfth of July is the Orangeman's day." 198:"Tooraloo! Tooralay! We'll have no superstition round Portadown way!" 135: 123: 173:, describing a series of absurd episodes and also set to the tune 191:
quotes the first and last verses of the song in his war memoir
264: 181:, amongst others. Hayward also made the first recording of 118:
The song tells the story of Bob Williamson, a weaver of
280: 161:". This seems to have been popularised by versions by 96: 293:
The Long Gestation: Irish Nationalist Life, 1891-1918
261:The golden treasury of Irish songs and lyrics 90:The golden treasury of Irish songs and lyrics 8: 248:A Collection of Orange and Protestant Songs 86:A Collection of Orange and Protestant Songs 65:song of the 1850s (and known in America as 213:Val Kilmer portrays Irish Unionist hero 226: 55:The tune itself, often referred to as 41:The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem 7: 19:(also spelt Ould Orange Flute) is a 250:, Belfast Newsletter, Belfast, 1907 171:Six Miles from Bangor to Donaghadee 27:. It is often associated with the 14: 295:, Palgrave Macmillan, 1999, p.130 195:, giving two alternate choruses: 355:Songs about musical instruments 281:Irish Traditional Music Archive 277:The Penguin book of oral poetry 142:". The text was reproduced in 1: 97:"Nugent's Bohemian Songster" 209:In the 1994 adventure film 381: 211:The Ghost and the Darkness 333:, Derek Verschoyle, 1953 237:, Routledge, 1979, p.468 331:Nine Rivers from Jordan 193:Nine Rivers from Jordan 58:Villikins and his Dinah 320:, Lilliput Press, 2014 259:Welsh, Charles, ed., 246:Peake, William, ed., 67:Sweet Betsy from Pike 365:Year of song unknown 215:John Henry Patterson 183:The Old Orange Flute 148:Irish Street Ballads 75:The Old Orange Flute 17:The Old Orange Flute 163:The Clancy Brothers 140:The Protestant Boys 307:, 2 Nov. 1912, p.3 275:Finnegan, R. (ed) 205:In popular culture 185:, in around 1920. 329:Johnston, Denis, 318:Romancing Ireland 165:and subsequently 37:Irish nationalism 372: 350:Irish folk songs 334: 327: 321: 316:Clements, Paul, 314: 308: 302: 296: 291:Maume, Patrick. 289: 283: 273: 267: 257: 251: 244: 238: 231: 144:Colm Ó Lochlainn 380: 379: 375: 374: 373: 371: 370: 369: 340: 339: 338: 337: 328: 324: 315: 311: 303: 299: 290: 286: 279:, 1978, p.198; 274: 270: 258: 254: 245: 241: 232: 228: 223: 207: 179:Richard Hayward 132:The Boyne Water 116: 53: 23:originating in 12: 11: 5: 378: 376: 368: 367: 362: 357: 352: 342: 341: 336: 335: 322: 309: 297: 284: 268: 252: 239: 225: 224: 222: 219: 206: 203: 189:Denis Johnston 115: 112: 52: 49: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 377: 366: 363: 361: 358: 356: 353: 351: 348: 347: 345: 332: 326: 323: 319: 313: 310: 306: 301: 298: 294: 288: 285: 282: 278: 272: 269: 266: 262: 256: 253: 249: 243: 240: 236: 230: 227: 220: 218: 216: 212: 204: 202: 199: 196: 194: 190: 186: 184: 180: 176: 172: 168: 167:The Dubliners 164: 160: 156: 151: 149: 145: 141: 137: 133: 129: 125: 121: 113: 111: 109: 105: 100: 98: 93: 91: 87: 82: 80: 76: 72: 68: 64: 60: 59: 50: 48: 46: 45:The Dubliners 42: 38: 34: 30: 26: 22: 18: 360:Orange Order 330: 325: 317: 312: 304: 300: 292: 287: 276: 271: 265:Google Books 260: 255: 247: 242: 234: 229: 208: 200: 197: 192: 187: 182: 174: 170: 152: 147: 117: 107: 103: 101: 94: 89: 85: 83: 74: 71:sea shanties 66: 56: 54: 33:The Troubles 29:Orange Order 16: 15: 233:Hugill, S. 344:Categories 221:References 159:Donaghadee 63:music hall 39:, such as 305:Sinn Fein 175:Villikins 120:Dungannon 108:Sinn Fein 104:Sinn Fein 79:broadside 21:folk song 150:(1939). 128:Connacht 61:after a 51:History 25:Ireland 155:Bangor 136:heresy 124:Papist 114:Text 88:and 43:and 157:to 146:'s 346:: 99:. 81:. 47:.

Index

folk song
Ireland
Orange Order
The Troubles
Irish nationalism
The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem
The Dubliners
Villikins and his Dinah
music hall
sea shanties
broadside
"Nugent's Bohemian Songster"
Dungannon
Papist
Connacht
The Boyne Water
heresy
The Protestant Boys
Colm Ó Lochlainn
Bangor
Donaghadee
The Clancy Brothers
The Dubliners
Richard Hayward
Denis Johnston
The Ghost and the Darkness
John Henry Patterson
Google Books
Irish Traditional Music Archive
Categories

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