Kearney’s Queue

AT the Main Guard there’s a dram-shop
And a woollen-draper’s too,
Whilst overhead there stands a dumb clock,
All since Kearney lost his queue.


Round by Tommy Murphy’s brewery,
Where old Kearney lost his queue,
Rig a dig a dig dum, dig dum dairee,
Rig a dig dum dig dum dee.

Kearney’s maid went to the market
To get some meat to make a stew,
She spied a pigtail in a basket,
And cried out, That’s the master’s queue.

Round by Tommy Murphy’s brewery,
Where old Kearney lost his queue,
Rig a dig a dig dum, dig dum dairee,
Rig a dig dum dig dum dee.

The Whisky Club went round the town
To see, and try what they could do
To raise the wind and get near blind,
Looking for Mick Kearney’s queue.

Round by Tommy Murphy’s brewery,
Where old Kearney lost his queue,
Rig a dig a dig dum, dig dum dairee,
Rig a dig dum dig dum dee.

The Club went then to Billy Stiff’s (1) shop,
His window and his wares to view;
In vain they searched but couldn’t find out
Any trace of Kearney’s queue.

Round by Tommy Murphy’s brewery,
Where old Kearney lost his queue,
Rig a dig a dig dum, dig dum dairee,
Rig a dig dum dig dum dee.

(1) Stiff, called Stiffe, was then a barber at Clonmel.

Billy Stiff went to Major Chaytor
To complain the motley crew;
The Mayor, he said he’d send James White
And Allen in search of Kearney’s queue.

Round by Tommy Murphy’s brewery,
Where old Kearney lost his queue,
Rig a dig a dig dum, dig dum dairee,
Rig a dig dum dig dum dee.

The Club went then to Mr. Butler’s,
A conscientious man ’tis true,
They would not hang a man but one,
And that the one who stole Mick Kearney’s queue.

Round by Tommy Murphy’s brewery,
Where old Kearney lost his queue,
Rig a dig a dig dum, dig dum dairee,
Rig a dig dum dig dum dee.

The Club men then went down the quay
The gas house chimney for to view,
And saw Mick Kearney under the bridge, sir,
Seeking for his lovely queue.

Round by Tommy Murphy’s brewery,
Where old Kearney lost his queue,
Rig a dig a dig dum, dig dum dairee,
Rig a dig dum dig dum dee.

Great news, my boys, to cheer us all,
I now transmit to you,
For coming home is the great Glengall
To seek for Kearney’s queue.

Round by Tommy Murphy’s brewery,
Where old Kearney lost his queue,

Rig a dig a dig dum, dig dum dairee,
Rig a dig dum dig dum dee.

Aby Grubb he built a new house,
Henry Pedder built one too,
Grier and Murghy built a brewery
All since Kearney lost his queue

Round by Tommy Murphy’s brewery,
Where old Kearney lost his queue,
Rig a dig a dig dum, dig dum dairee,
Rig a dig dum dig dum dee.

Anthony Whitton’s as yellow as bacon,
Tommy Taylor says, This will not do,
And Billy Oakley stopped his preaching
Since old Kearney lost his queue.

Round by Tommy Murphy’s brewery,
Where old Kearney lost his queue,
Rig a dig a dig dum, dig dum dairee,
Rig a dig dum dig dum dee.