Year unknown, but 17th or 18th century, at a guess.
There's a Steeleye Span song stuck in my head. It's a version of a folk song about a dying soldier, called 'When I was on horseback'.
When I was on horseback, wasn't I pretty.
When I was on horseback, wasn't I gay.
Wasn't I pretty when I entered Cork city
And met with my downfall on the 14th of May.
The remainder seems to be the standard folk lament of a dying soldier/sailor/ploughboy i.e.'Get six jolly (insert occupation of choice) to carry my coffin' and so on.
What happened on in Cork on this date to cause the poor soldier's downfall?
2007-08-31
02:56:10
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6 answers
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Anonymous