Het is wel weer eens tijd voor de Dubliners, vindt u ook niet?
De ballade van een fameuze hazewindhond uit Ierland, die bij de rennen in Engeland werd ingezet. In deze versie roept hij iets subversiefs. De hond is legendarisch, leefde van 1866 tot 1873 en was volkomen kapotgerend. Hij heeft een standbeeld in Lurgan, Armagh, hier afgebeeld.
Intro: This is a song about probably the only victory we ever had on English soil.
Eighteen sixty nine being the date and the year
Those Waterloo sportsmen and more did appear
For to gain the great prizes and bear them awa’
Never counting on Ireland and Master McGrath
On the twelfth of November, that day of renown
McGrath and his keeper they left Lurgan town
A gale in the Channel, it soon drove them o’er
On the thirteenth they landed on England’s fair shore
Oh well when they arrived there in big London Town
Those great English sportsmen all gathered around
And one of those gentlemen standing nearby
Said, ‘Is that the great dog you call Master McGrath?’
Oh well one of the gentlemen standing around
Says, ‘I don’t care a damn for your Irish greyhound!’
And another he sneered with a scornful ‘Ha! Ha!
We’ll soon humble the pride of your Master McGrath.’
Then Lord Lurgan came forward and he said, ‘Gentlemen
If there’s any amongst you has money to spend
For your grand English nobles I don’t care a straw
Here’s five thousand to one upon Master McGrath.’
Oh, McGrath he looked up and he wagged his old tail
Informing his lordship, ‘Sure I know what you mean
Don’t fear, noble Brownlow, don’t fear them agra
We’ll soon tarnish their laurels’, says Master McGrath
Oh well Rose stood uncovered, the great English pride
Her master and keeper were close by her side;
They let them away and the crowd cried, ‘Hurrah!’
For the pride of all England and Master McGrath
Oh well Rose and the Master they both ran along
‘I wonder’, says Rose, ‘what took you from your home
You should have stayed there in your Irish domain
And not come to gain laurels on Albion’s plain.’
‘Well, I know’, says the Master, ‘we have wild heather
bogs
But, bedad, in old Ireland there’s good men and dogs
Lead on, bold Britannia, give none of your jaw
Stuff that up your nostrils’, says Master McGrath
Well the hare she led on just as swift as the wind
He was sometimes before her and sometimes behind
He jumped on her back and held up his ould paw –
‘Long live the Republic’, says Master McGrath
Master McGrath, 1971
Mocht het nog niet duidelijk zijn: de th in die naam wordt als h uitgesproken, dus zo goed als niet.
