Molly Bawn- (Cork) c.1834 Haly broadside
[From Bodleian; Slip 2806 c.18(209) teamed with Miss Patty Puff and her two Sweethearts.
Fitzgerald (an account of the old street ballads of Cork 1892) recalled that in 1842 Mr Haly, the printer in Hanover Street, then a very old man, was still printing ballads with his own woodcuts or illustrations.
R. Matteson 2016]
Molly Bawn- Broadside by Haly, Cork, Ireland; c. 1834
A story, a story, to you I will relate,
Of a young female, whose fortune is great;
She walked out one evening, she walked all alone,
And she stopped under a bower a shower to shun.
Young Jemmy being coming with a gun in his hand,
He was fowling all day, untill[1] the evening came on
Her apron being about her, he took her for a swan,
But alas, to his grief, it was his own Molly Bawn.
Come all young heroes, that handle the gun,
Beware of late shooting, when evening comes on
Her apron was about her, he took her for a swan;
But, alas, for my grief, it was fair Molly Bawn.
When he came near her, and found it was she
His limbs they grew feeble, his eyes could not see;
He took her in his arms, and found she was dead,
And a fountain of tears from his eyes down he shed.
Young Jemmy went home, with his gun in his hand,
Sick and broken-hearted, as you may understand;
Saying, father, dear Father, if you knew what I've done
Oh I shot Molly Bawn by setting of the sun.
Then bespoke his father tho his locks they were grey,
Saying, son, dearest son do not go away,
Stop in this country, till your trial comes on,
And you never will die by the law of the land.
Two or three nights after to her uncle she did appear,
Saying uncle, dearest uncl[e], my truelove come clear
My apron being about me, he took me for a swan;
But alas, for my grief, it was fair Molly Bawn.
Molly my jewel, my joy and delight,
If you had but lived , I would make you my bride;
You were my flower of this country, the pride of them all,
And I shortly will follow my own Molly Bawn.
Haly, Printer, Hanover Street, Cork.
1. original spelling kept.