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County Carlow Ireland

Ballads - Poetry

 

The Airy Bachelor - Author unknown

Come all you airy bachelors, a warning take by me,
Give over your night's rambling and shun bad company;
I lived as happy as a prince whilst I lived in the North;
But the first of my misfortune was to'list in the Light Horse.

It been on a certain Thursday to Galway I did go,
I met with a small officer which proves my overthrow;
I met with Sergeant Dickison in the market just going down;
He says: 'Young man, would you enlist and be a Light Dragoon?'

'Oh, no, kind sir, a soldier's coat with me would not agree,
Nor neither will I bind myself up from my liberty;
I live as happy as a prince, my mind does tell me so;
Good evening, sir, I'm just going down my shuttle for to throw.'

It's, 'Are you in a hurry, or are you going away?
O won't you stop and listen to those words I'm going to say?'
It's, 'Do you live far off this place? - the same I want to know;
Your name, kind sir, if you be pleased tell me before I go.'

O, it's, 'I'm in a hurry, my dwelling lies far off,
My house and habitation lies six miles below Armagh;
It's Charles Higgins is my name, from Carlow Town I came;
I ne'er intend to do the crime, I should deny my name.'

He says, 'Now Cousin, Charley, perhaps you might do worse
To bid farewell to your country boys, and 'list in the Light Horse';
With all kinds of persuasion with him I did agree,
I bid farewell to my comrade boys and fight for liberty.

Farewell unto my father; likewise my sisters three,
And likewise to my mother - her kind face I ne'er will see.
As I'll ride down through Carlow Town, they'll all run in my mind.,
And thrice farewell to my comrade boys, and the girls I left behind.

See also: The Carlow Maid - Follow me up to Carlow

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