A regular feature on traditional songs of County Wexford. This week: The Gorey Caravan

I first heard The Gorey Caravan sung by Letitia Breen, a participant in The Wexford Song Project which I devised and facilitated in 2014 to encourage people to research and sing local traditional songs. I loved the song immediately. It tells the story of a man who falls for a young woman but despite his best efforts he fails to win her heart.

The Gorey Caravan was the name of a horse-drawn ‘long car’ which ran between Gorey and Courtown. It is recalled that in the early 1900’s that two families, Webbs and Redmonds, were involved in running the long cars, while Mick Doyle remembers the Dywer brothers running the service when he was young.

It is not known who wrote the song. It had been suggested to Letitia that the author may have been Paddy Stokes, a local Gorey poet.

In recent days, however, we have found evidence that the song dates to an earlier time. Thanks to Owen Dunbar for sending me an online link to a book entitled ‘Ancient Irish Music’ by P. W. Joyce which features the song, albeit a fragment of it. The music to an air entitled ‘The Gorey Caravan’ is provided with the author’s note; ‘There was a lively song to this air, but the following fragment is all that I was able to recall’. This is followed by two lines of the song - enough to show that the song was in existence well before the ‘long car’ driver’s named above were around, or Paddy Stokes (b.1896) was writing poetry, as the book was published in 1873.

This song is a favourite of a number of local singers; Colm Brennan and Mick Doyle of Gorey, Nicky Furlong of Ferns and Letitia Breen of Ballyduff. The late Martin Connors of Carron Row, Gorey, former Town Councillor, also used to sing it. I recorded both Mick and Colm singing their versions as part of The Kilmuckridge Song Project and they can be heard on the ‘Songs of Wexford’ Facebook page.

The Gorey Caravan Words: Unknown

Air: Traditional

As I roved out one evening down by Malone’s Hotel,

I spied a pretty damsel with a bundle on her arm,

She said young man don’t tease me for I have no time to stand, For I’m off to Courtown Harbour on the Gorey Caravan.

‘Twas hand in hand we travelled ’til we came to Harbour Town, ‘Twas in Pollie Walker’s I spent my last half crown.

I heard the bugle sounding, no longer could I stand,

For I saw my true love ride upon the Gorey Caravan.

Now I have lost my own true love to where I do not know, Some of her neighbours tell me that she dwells in Carron Row. I’ll search those houses one by one I’ll find her if I can,

And she’ll never more go ride upon the Gorey Caravan.

I am looking for that driver way down in Tara Hill,

They say his name is Kelly but they call him Codger Bill, Let her be where she will she’s my love still I’ll find her if I can, And she’ll never more go ride upon the Gorey Caravan.

Now I have found my own true love way in Camolin Town, She’s married to a farmer, a man of great renown.

She said she will be loyal to him while she has a life to stand, And she’ll never more go ride upon the Gorey Caravan.

The besotted fellow makes much of his attempts to locate the girl. He attempts to track down the long car driver and talks of searching houses ‘one by one’ to find her. It should be noted, however, that the places mentioned; Courtown, Tara Hill and Camolin, are all only a few miles from Gorey (the furthest, Camolin, is seven miles away). Wouldn’t you think that someone would know where she was? Do you suppose that perhaps she didn’t want to be found?

‘Malones’ Hotel’ referred to in the song was the ‘Ram’s Arms Hotel’ which was situated at the top of the town, opposite the Courthouse, beside the Garda station. The site is now a carpark and features a memorial to the United Irishmen as the first Wexford Branch of the United Irishmen was founded at a meeting in the hotel in 1792. Malones were the last family to run the hotel. Mick Doyle first heard The Gorey Caravan sung in McGuinness’s Pub, in the North Parade, which is now Paddy Blues, many years ago. Mick was about 18 years of age at the time and the singer was the late Joe Swaine.

Aileen Lambert is a traditional singer from Ballindaggin. She works with various communities on a range of song collecting, composing and performing projects and delivers workshops in Primary Schools as part of the Heritage-in-Schools Scheme. If you have further information on a subject or song featuring in this column, or a song or verse/recitation you’d like to share with Aileen, please contact her on aileenlambert@gmail.com or 087 7552593.