1 March 1999

Subject: Phil The Fluter's Ball

Archive Curator,

This is a traditional Irish song about a flutist named Phil, who threw a ball to raise funds for himself.  Here's part of the lyrics:

"There was Mister Denis Dogherty, who kep' the runnin' dog;
There was little crooked Paddy, from the Tiraloughett bog;
There was boys from every Barony, and girls from ev'ry ``art''
And the beautiful Miss Bradys, in a private ass an' cart."

The song would have been familiar to everyone in Ireland in 1910 when your postcard of Aileen Macarthy's private ass was printed. I remember the song being regularly played on the radio when I was growing up in England in the 50s

Bill Burns
Long Island,   NY,   USA

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