Donnybrook Fair.

Chapter VIII

Donnybrook Fair.

Donnybrook Fair is described in some verses which appeared towards the end of the 18th century in a leading Irish Magazine, [Exshaw’s “Gentleman’s and London Magazine” for 1790, p.449.] and as the verses are the only extant account of the Fair at that period, some extracts from them seem not unworthy of reproduction. The editor says that he is indebted to a well-known poetical genius for the poem, which he describes as “a curious Grub-street ode on that celebrated nuisance Donnybrook Fair.”

The opening verses are as follows:-

Descend, Apollo! from the mount,

Where flows the poet-making fount,

My yet unchristen’d Muse prepare

To sing the charms of Donnybrook’s fam’d fair!

String thou my lyre,

Enchant each wire;

And draw still nigh’r,

And raise still high’r,

Ambition’s fire,

And strong desire,

(which all admire)

With native ire,

And language dire,

To rout and tire,

With my *Miltonic *verse all *Grub Street’s *ragged choir.

The Musical God,

With significant nod,

Smiles not only assent, but applause;

So pr’ythee be quiet,

And not breed a riot,

Lest in anger he locks up your jaws!

For our laureat Bard,

Though he scribbles quite hard,

To sing upon *Birth Days *so rare,

Is not greater than me,

Who extol, do you see,

The feats of sweet Donnybrook Fair.

But the critics, I fear,

Will look black and severe,

And be glad to expose my demerits;

For alas! and alack!

Not a *nutshell *of sack

Has your *Ode-man *to keep up his spirits.

Then comes the antistrophe:-

Behold, what crowds at Donnybrook are seen,

Some clad in yellow, others dress’d in green!

Boys in rags;

Swarthy hags;

Buckish wags,

Who ride their nags;

Girls in tatters;

Wives in shatters;

Hosiers, hatters,

Mending matters;

Cheating bakers; C

Pulpit shakers;

Money stakers;

Mantua-makers;

Drunken sailors;

Valiant tailors;

Undertakers;

Sabbath breakers,

(God’s forsakers);

Midnight wakers;

Thieves, thief-takers,

Darting along, as if on wings they flew,

While others close the train, with eyelids black and blue!

But hark! what strains inspire these jovial souls!

The piercing trumpet makes its voice to soar;

And now the drum its martial thunder rolls,

While prentice-boys robellow to the roar.

---

Carmen, tinkers,

Blind Free thinkers;

Grunting Quakers,

Kennel rakers;

Antiquarians;

Stubborn Arians;

Unitarians;

Presbyterians;

‘Destinarians;

Apollonians;

Antimonians;

Muggletonians;

Sandemonians;

Purgatorians;

Fam’d chirurgeons;

Swedenbourgians;

Methodists,

With double fists;

Drunken peers;

Auctioneers;

Famous fighters;

Base back-biters.

Swift lamp-lighters;

Hackney writers;

Little bards,

Who’re big blackguards;

Thieving waiters;

Annotators;

Club-debaters,

Calculators;

Aged preachers,

Tumult teachers;

Attorneys’ clerks,

Fine hopeful sparks;

Jack-ass drivers;

Pocket divers !-With numbers of those rhapsody enditers,

Those famous quill-men, call’d news-writers;

While Hate and Scandal as their Heralds fly,

To beg them bread - or else, the devils die,

All, all are here, to bless their happy stars,

Arid view, with rapt’rous eyes, this Champ de Mars!

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