Post by Ptarmigan on May 11, 2008 22:44:45 GMT
Joe Holmes of Ballymoney
Joe holmes was one of Antrim’s finest ever Fiddlers, Singers and Lilters, who’s brother Harry, brought him a Fiddle home from France, after the First War, and many’s a good night they had round the fire at their Killyrammer home, before Harry sailed for Canada.
FAREWELL TO BALLYMONEY AND COUNTY ANTRIM TOO,
LIKEWISE FAREWELL DEAR MOLLY I BID YOU A FOND ADIEU,
AMERIKAY LIES FAR AWAY ACROSS THE OCEAN BLUE,
I AM BOUND FOR THERE DEAR MOLLY AND AGAIN I’LL NE’ER SEE YOU.
LIKEWISE FAREWELL DEAR MOLLY I BID YOU A FOND ADIEU,
AMERIKAY LIES FAR AWAY ACROSS THE OCEAN BLUE,
I AM BOUND FOR THERE DEAR MOLLY AND AGAIN I’LL NE’ER SEE YOU.
Apparently a regular visitor with Joe was an Armoy man by the name of John McAfee, who was a singer, and a Fiddler too?
Joe’s house was a ‘Ceili-house’ and they regularly had a four hand reel, or a set of lancers stepped out nicely on their kitchen floor. Joe had two neighbour girls too, who sang a duet about a rich girl who fell in love with a sailor-boy.
MY LOVE HE IS A SAILOR BOLD HIS AGE IS SCARCE SIXTEEN,
HE IS THE FINEST YOUNG MAN THAT EVER YOU HAVE SEEN,
MY FATHER HE HAS RICHES GREAT, BUT REILLY HE IS POOR,
AND BECAUSE I LOVE MY SAILOR LAD HE CANNOT ME ENDURE.
HE IS THE FINEST YOUNG MAN THAT EVER YOU HAVE SEEN,
MY FATHER HE HAS RICHES GREAT, BUT REILLY HE IS POOR,
AND BECAUSE I LOVE MY SAILOR LAD HE CANNOT ME ENDURE.
Were you one of those Killyrammer girls, or does anyone remember who the two were, who sang this duet?
In those far off days, they had lots of special occasions, which were good excuses for a good Ceili of songs, music and dancing. Events like Lint-pullings, Country-dances, Churns etc.
Can anyone remember those?
I’d love to hear what actually went on at a Lint-pulling or a Churn.
Another special event was the Christmas Rhymers, when a group went round the houses performing a little play. Joe usually played the Doctor, but there were other characters too, like Saint George of England, St. Patrick and the Turkey Champion (now that sounds like an ideal role for Dunloy’s Damian McKee! ).
Does anyone remember being part of one of those groups, or even just being visited by them?
HERE COMES I ST. PATRICK IN SHINING ARMOUR BRIGHT,
A FAMOUS CHAMPION AND WORTHY NIGHT,
WHAT WAS ST. GEORGE BUT ST PATRICKS BOY,
WHO FED HIS HORSE ON OATS AND HAY,
AND AFTERWARDS HE RAN AWAY.
A FAMOUS CHAMPION AND WORTHY NIGHT,
WHAT WAS ST. GEORGE BUT ST PATRICKS BOY,
WHO FED HIS HORSE ON OATS AND HAY,
AND AFTERWARDS HE RAN AWAY.
On leaving school at 14, Joe’s first job was to carry the red flag in front of the steam-roller, and he would follow it around the countryside all week in a caravan, and take his Fiddle too. Some of his old Fiddle favourites included The Boys of Ballycastle, The Blackberry Blossom, Royal Charlie, Wellington’s Medal and Rodney’s Glory.
I’m sure many Fiddle and Fife men out there will recognise those tune names.
Joe left the roads and went to Flax-scutching, first for a wee mill beside Killyrammer, and then into Milltown Mill, in Ballymoney. However, as anyone who has been involved in that work will tell you, it is not very healthy, and Joe’s last job was out in the fresh air again, as a green-keeper for Ballymoney Bowling club.
Joe latterly lived at Chestnut Grove in the town, but sadly he died on January 5th, 1978, at the age of 71.
I received a lovely letter from a neighbour and close friend of Joe’s, a man who was born only 100 yards from Joe’s house, in 1938. In his early years, this gentleman was a regular visitor to Joe’s house, and he tells me there were always Fiddlers calling in ‘for a tune’.
He particularly remembers one fine Fiddler by the name of Adam Elliott from Kilraughts. He also remembers them talking of a Fiddler by the name of McAfee, who would have been John McAfee from Armoy, but unfortunately he has no memory of the Killyrammer girls, who apparently regularly sang at Joe’s house.
This man, like Joe, did his own fair share of ‘Lint Pulling’, and he also worked for a time at ‘Henrys Mill’, and he remembers Joe’s brothers Davy and Jonnie, whom he described as being like Joe, “all fine men”. However, it seems he could never understand how Joe’s household could be bothered by so many folk calling round each night, for the music and crack.
{Crack ~ word from N E England, meaning fun}