From: Ron Gillen (gillen@nconnect.net)
Date: Sat Oct 20 2001 - 08:46:28 PDT
Cumann Staire Chontae Thiobraid Árann County Tipperary Historical Society IT'S A LONG WAY TO TIPPERARY... On Wednesday, November 11, 1998 the Irish State formally honoured, for the first time, the quarter of a million Irish people who had served in the British Forces during the first World War, of which over 50,000 died. History was made in the Belgian village of MESEN where a monument was unveiled by President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth and the King and Queen of Belgium. The monument is a 110 foot Irish Round Tower made from tons of stones taken from a former workhouse in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. Many of the pictures of this historic occassion flashed around the world on TV featured a band playing "It's A Long Way To Tipperary", so we thought it was a fitting time to add a page to our Web site with information on this famous song... Throughout the war years, the strength of the Tipperary town barracks increased substantially and the town gained world fame through the 1912 composition by JACK JUDGE [1878-1938], titled "It's A Long Way To Tipperary". Judge, from Oldbury, near Birmingham, composed the song even though he had never been to Ireland! However, the composer's grandparents were from the county. This song was introduced to the front early in the war (1914) by the 2nd Battalion Connaught Rangers, who were stationed in Tipperary between 1908 - 1910. The Daily Mail correspondent, George Curnock, first heard the tune in Boulogne in August 1914 - "as a company of the 2nd Battalion Connaught Rangers passed us singing, with a note of strange pathos in their rich Irish voices, a song I had never heard before…" The song sold a million copies in 1914 and was later recorded by Athlone-born Count John McCormack - it was one of the most popular songs among both the British and German armies during World War I. Before Judge died in 1938, he composed a sequel called "It's A Long Way No Longer". >From the TIPPERARY STAR January 7, 1989 One of the most famous songs of all time, "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" is now fifty years going strong and the copyright runs out at the end of 1988. This column conducted correspondence for months at one time about the origins of the song which millions of British Tommies sang as they went into battle in the trenches during the First World War. The song was subsequently adopted by the Germans and Russians and it's now probably one of the most famous of all war songs. But although it's famous as a war song, it's really a song about serving soldier's longing for home. I can recall getting a slap from an alleged educationalist once after getting off a train which had transported us home from a famous hurling victory. The blow still smarts. But listen to the words: "Goodbye Piccadilly, farewell Leicester Square, it's a long, long way to Tipperary and my heart lies there". The song was written for a bet by Jack Judge who now, according to a recent report, apparently actually co-wrote the song with a man called Harry Williams who died in 1924. Originally, according to one report, the song was called "It's a long way to Connemara". But apparently Judge, a comedian, substituted the Premier County for the Connacht province. And a relative of Harry Williams is alleged to have said that the song was never intended to be about Tipperary at all. The substitution came about, allegedly, at a concert in Staleybridge in Manchester. It's now being claimed that Williams was the musician. When the song was taken up as the anthem of World War 1 the men were awarded £5.00 for life. Since then royalties have been awarded to nieces. But because the song is most often sung at parties that has amounted to only £800 a year. Tipperary folk will be flattered. For it's reckoned the reason that Judge 'substituted' the name Tipperary for Connemara was because Tipperary would be better known then Connemara. Aye, but indeed!. Did some correspondent write to me to say that there is a plaque in Stalybridge, Manchester to Judge? Whatever about the origins of the song; certainly it has put Tipperary on the map all over the world. "Tipperary" has come a long way indeed. NOTE By the way, there is a NEW biography of Jack Judge now available: Gibbons, Verna Hale Jack Judge: The Tipperary Man Published by: Sandwell Community Library Service, Smethwick Library, High Street, Smethwick, West Midlands, B66 1AB, England Price: £11.60 ISBN 1 900 689 073 IT'S A LONG WAY TO TIPPERARY... Up to mighty London came an Irishman one day, As the streets were paved with gold, sure ev'ry one was gay, Singing songs of Piccadilly, Strand and Leicester Square, Till Paddy got excited, then he shouted to them there: It's a long way to Tipperary, It's a long way to go, It's a long way to Tipperary, To the sweetest girl I know! Goodbye Piccadilly! Farewell Leicester Square! It's a long, long way to Tipperary, But my heart's right there! Paddy wrote a letter to his Irish Molly O', Saying "Should you not receive it, write and let me know! If I make mistakes in spelling, Molly dear", said he, "Remember it's the pen that's bad, don't lay the blame on me" It's a long way to Tipperary, It's a long way to go, It's a long way to Tipperary, To the sweetest girl I know! Goodbye Piccadilly! Farewell Leicester Square! It's a long, long way to Tipperary, But my heart's right there! Molly wrote a neat reply to Irish Paddy O', Saying "Mike Maloney wants to marry me, and so, Leave the Strand and Piccadilly, or you'll be to blame, For love has fairly drove me silly - hoping you're the same!" It's a long way to Tipperary, It's a long way to go, It's a long way to Tipperary, To the sweetest girl I know! Goodbye Piccadilly! Farewell Leicester Square! It's a long, long way to Tipperary, But my heart's right there! ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Get your FREE credit report with a FREE CreditCheck Monitoring Service trial http://us.click.yahoo.com/Gi0tnD/bQ8CAA/ySSFAA/r1FolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: timewitnesses-unsubscribe@egroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/