“The Maid of Dunmore”

Description

The singer meets a maid whose sweetheart is fighting the French with Nelson. He asks her to leave Dunmore and live with him in Ireland. She refuses. He "picked up my alls and left for Ireland, And left that fair maid in Dunmore"

Supplemental text

Maid of Dunmore, The
  Partial text(s)

          *** A ***

From Louise Manny and James Reginald Wilson, Songs of Miramichi,
#83, pp. 268-269. From the singing of Billy Price, Priceville, in
1960.

It happened on a fine summer's evening
  When Phoebus most glorious did shine,
And the nightingale warbled melodious
  And the dew it soon fell in the glen,
It was down by yon grave where I wandered
  A while to condone in the shade,
My destiny there for to ponder;
  It was there I beheld a fair maid.

(5 additional stanzas)

Notes

This hits so many familiar themes that it sounds like it ought to be a version of something else (compare, e.g., "The Plains of Waterloo (I)" [Laws N32] and "The Banks of Clyde (I)") -- but I can't locate a true parallel. - RBW.

References

1. Manny/Wilson 83, "The Maid of Dunmore" (1 text, 1 tune)
2. Dean, pp. 47-48, "The Lass of Dunmore" (1 text)
3. ST MaWi083 (Partial)
4. Roud #9177 and 3668
5. BI, MaWi083