ࡱ> FHE%` h(bjbjNN .,,,"6DDDDDDDDD5555555$7hT:6EcDDcc6DDb6GGGc6DD5Gc5GGGD8 vG5x606G;";GG;[D DGNRDDD661DDD6cccc   The Book of Irish Writers, Chapter 37 - Percy French, 1854-1920 William Percy French was born at Cloonyquin House in Co Roscommon. His family were Ascendancy landowners and aged 10 French was sent to school in England - he then continued his education at Foyle College in Derry. From around the age of 18 he was enrolled on a Civil Engineering course in Trinity College. The course had been chosen for him by his father. French was not a conscientious student, taking nine years in all to complete his degree! But - at Trinity - he began to write songs for student concerts. His first was one of his best known,  Abdul Abulbul Amir : As Abdul's long knife was extracting the life  ( In fact he was shouting  Huzzah! He felt himself struck by that wily Kalmyk,( Count Ivan Skavinsky Skavar. The Sultan drove by in his red-crested fly,( Expecting the victor to cheer.( But he only drew nigh to hear the last sigh,( Of Abdul Abulbul Amir. The song is typical in its delight in the sounds and rhythm of language, not least in the names of its protagonists. Most of Frenchs other songs, however, would deal with Irish scenes and stories and would use Irish English. When French finally graduated from Trinity in 1881, aged 27, he served an apprenticeship on the railways and then took a job with the Cavan Board of Works as an inspector of drains. He continued to write songs during this time and to perform them for friends. He also painted, which was his first love: Friends and relatives often urge me to grow up and take an interest in politics, whiskey, race meetings, foreign securities but, no, I am still the small boy messing about with a paintbox. French was no more enthusiastic about his job with the Board of Works than he had been about his studies and was laid off in 1887. Now in his early thirties and newly married, he became the editor of a weekly comic paper called The Jarvey. Although he worked hard at this the paper folded. At about the same time his wife died in childbirth. He had already become involved with the theatre, collaborating with a friend, William Houston Collisson, on songs. In 1888, they co-wrote the musical comedy The Knights of the Road for the Queens Theatre in Dublin. This was successful enough to launch Frenchs career as a song writer and performer. Although he toured as far afield as America and Canada, from this point on he would tour Ireland and Britain ceaselessly. Some of his sketches were collected in The First Lord Liftinant and Other Tales - these treat the Norman, Elizabethan and Cromwellian invasions of Ireland as light comedy in which almost everyone, whether Irish or English, speaks with a brogue! A conversation between Queen Elizabeth I and the Earl of Essex is typical: Elizabeth: Ive got a job that I think would suit you. Do you know where Ireland is? Im no great fist at jografy, says his lordship, but I know the place you name. Population, three millions; exports: emigrants. In 1890, French moved to London. Aged 40, he married again, this time to a chorus girl. Frenchs strong point was comic songs such as Phil the Fluthers Ball, and Slatterys Mounted Foot. These traded on stereotypes which were affectionate enough to please both Irish and English audiences. Some of his songs have satirical targets. Are Ye Right There Michael, for example, satirised the state of the railways in Co Clare: You may talk of Columbuss sailing Across the Atlantical sea But he never tried to go railing From Ennis as far as Kilkee. The song is so detailed that the railway company sued French. The story goes that the case was thrown out when French arrived late in court. When asked by the judge to explain his lateness, he replied: Your honour, I travelled by the West Clare Railway. This detail about places is a major feature of Frenchs songs. Many locations in Ireland lay claim to him because he wrote songs about so many of the places he visited on tours. A number of these, like Come Back Paddy Reilly to Ballyjamesduff, or The Mountains of Mourne, are sentimental songs about emigration: Oh, Mary, this Londons a wonderful sight, Wid the people here workin by day and by night: They dont sow potatoes, nor barley, nor wheat, But theres gangs o them diggin for gold in the street At least when I asked them that's what I was told, So I just took a hand at this digging for gold. But for all that I found there I might as well be, Where the Mountains o' Mourne sweep down to the sea. In 1920, w@ R ^  d f   4 6 f 9Lnx _el(e(f(ӽӽӽӽӽӽӽӽӽӽӽӽӽӽӽӽӽӽӽӣӜ h1chJ!U/h1ch1c6CJOJPJQJ^JaJmH sH +h1ch1c6CJOJQJ^JaJmH sH (h1ch1cCJOJQJ^JaJmH sH .h1ch1c5>*CJOJQJ^JaJmH sH 5@A      h  @ B 8 f h *OP71$7$8$H$^7gd1c 1$7$8$H$gd1ch(P&'^71$7$8$H$^7gd1c 1$7$8$H$gd1c^_GxGzg(h( 1$7$8$H$gdJ!71$7$8$H$^7gd1c 1$7$8$H$gd1chen he was 66 and still performing, French contracted pneumonia in Glasgow and died a few days later. f(g(h(h1ch1c5>*OJQJ(hJ!hNCJOJQJ^JaJmH sH ,1h. 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