Molly Bawn- Joanna Lacy (Wexford) 1875 Kennedy
[From: The Banks of the Boro: A Chronicle of the County of Wexford by Patrick Kennedy; Published McGlashan and Gill in Dublin in 1875.
The informant is identified as Joanna Lacy, who miked cows. Wexford is part of the province of Leinster on the south-east coast of Ireland. Wexford is named after the City of Wexford.
An excerpt from the book follows.
R. Matteson 2016]
Charley then laid his commands on Joanna, who sang the following piece, and her sweet voice was in this instance well aided by a charmingly plaintive air. The ballad is of an abrupt character, which we have made no attempt to soften.
Molly Bawn.
Come all you young fellows that follow the gun.
Beware of late shooting at the set of the sun.
With her white apron round her she looked like a fawn,
But alas to my grief, 'twas my own Molly Bawn!
He ran to his uncle with the gun in his hand,
Saying, "Uncle, dear uncle, I scarcely can stand;
My curse on you, Tony[1], that lent me your gun,
To go a late shooting at the set o' the sun!"
I've a story to tell you which happened of late;
I loved Molly Bawn, and her beauty was great,
But I've shot my true lover,—alas, I'm undone,
While she sat in the shade at the set of the sun.
I rubbed her fair temples, and found she was dead,
And a fountain of tears for my darling I shed,
A fountain of tears there I wept bitterly,—
So soon to be married to my darling Molly!
And now I'll be forced by the laws of the land,
For killing my darling, my trial to stand.
Oh ! sad was the hour when 1 aimed at the fawn,
And I'll mourn till I die for my dear Molly Bawn.'"
The company were silent for some time after Joanna had ceased, for they were really enthralled in some degree by the sentiment of the ballad, and by the fine air and the voice which had made the most of it. Indeed, the poor songstress herself was in tears at the conclusion, so that to conceal her emotion she made an unsuccessful attempt at a laugh, and called on Bryan, who sang the egregious ditty of the Red-Haired Man's Wife, with which we shall not trouble our readers.
1. usually "Toby"