Thady Quill

Lyrics
Ye maids of Dunhallow who're anxious for courting
A word of advice I will give unto ye
Proceed to Banteer to the athletic sporting
And hand in your names to the club committee
And never commence any skits on your programme
Till the carriage you see flying over the hill
Right down through the valleys and glens of Kilcorney
With our own darling sportsman the bold Thady Quill

(Chorus):
For ramblin', for rovin', for football' or courtin'
For drinkin' black porter as fast as you'd fill
In all your days rovin' you'll find none so jovial
As our Muskerry sportsman, the bold Thady Quill

At the great hurling match between Cork and Tipperary
('Twas played in the park on the banks of the Lee)
Our own darling lads were afraid of being beaten
So they sent for bold Thady to Ballinagree
He hurled the ball right and left in their faces
And showed the Tipperary men action and skill
If they touched on his lines he would certainly brain them
And the papers were full of the praise of Thade Quill

(Chorus)

At the Cork Exhibition there was a fair lady
Whose fortune exceeded a million or more
But a bad constitution had ruined her completely
And medical treatment had failed o'er and o'er
Our Mother, says she, sure I know what will ease me
And cure this disease that will certainly kill
Give over your doctors and medical treatment
I'd rather one squeeze out of bold Thady Quill

(Chorus)

Thady Quill is a popular traditional Irish song. The song is ironic as it was written about an individual living in County Cork who was actually far from heroic. It is recorded by The Clancy Brothers on their album Come Fill Your Glass with Us.

In reality, the ballad "The Bould Thady Quill" was composed by Johnny Tom Gleeson around 1895 and first put to paper in 1905. (See the biography of Johnny Tom Gleeson written by James A. Chisman and published by The Three Spires Press, Cork, Ireland, 1994.) Johnny Tom Gleeson (1854-1924) was a farmer who lived near Rylan, County Cork. He fancied himself a poet/balladeer, lampooning many of his neighbors and acquaintances. Timothy “Thady” Quill (c.1860-1932) was a poor laborer and occasional cattle jobber, who, owning no land nor house, did odd-jobs for the local farmers. Thady, although a burly man, was no athlete, and sleeping in barns did not endear him to the ladies - he died a bachelor. Johnny Tom had Thady do some work for him, and, instead of paying him (Johnny Tom was known as tight), he "immortalized" Thady with this ballad, which pleased Thady to no end. (See one version of the ballad with music in Soodlum's Irish Ballad Book published by Oak Publications, London, England, 1982.)