Jackson And Jane

You Monaghan sportsmen I pray you draw near

To a few simple verses you quickly shall hear

It’s the deeds of a hero that lives near Ballybay

And they call him Hugh Jackson, I hear people say

His mill, kilns and barns, they do cut a great show

And his cloth to the North and the city does go

At bleaching and lapping he does beat them all

And his cloth was first approved of at the Linen Hall

And more of his praises I’m going to explain

So if you will assist me, I’ll sing about Jane

Search Ireland all over from Cork to Kildare

And you’ll ne’er find a match for Hugh Jackson’s gray mare

He went to the stable, to the mare he did say

The hour is approaching and we must away

For a cup at Cootehill you have twice won with fame

And this day we are challenged, and you must run again

She turned in her stable

Kind Sir, don’t you know

This cup is my own and I won’t let it go

For twice I have won it and I mean to do still

And we’ll roll it in splendour from the plains of Cootehill

The Jockeys were mounted and all in a row

And if you had a’ been there when off they did go

The bets they were makin’ ten guineas to four

That the cup back to Creeve would return never more

When Jane she heard this, well, her mettle did rise

Over hedges and ditches like lightning she flies

And with aloud ‘neigher’ these words she did say

You Bellamont sportsmen, I’ll show yous the way’

When Jane and her jockey were half round the course

Miss Jane and her jockey began to discourse

Said Miss Jane to her jockey

Kind Sir let me know

Where are my opponents or are they in view?

He turned in the saddle and he cast an eye round

As for Squire Adams, he lies on the ground

I’m afraid that poor Curry by Spanker is threw

And the rest of your opponents they are not yet in view

When Jane she heard this, she went in at a race

And into the scales the balance was laid

The hall was surrounded for Jackson & Jane

And the cup went with honours back to Creeve once again