Larry Grogan Notes The 18th century Irish song usually mentioned in connection with this tune is "The County Limerick Buck Hunt." There are copies of this without music in <<The New Merry Companion>>, London, c 1772, and in <<The Charms of Melody>>, Dublin, Sect. 2, p. 8, 1776, where in both it is entitled "On the Buck Hunt In the County of Limerick," with tune direction, "Larry Grogan." It also appears as "The Limerick Buck Hunt" in <<The Charms of Chearfullness>>, London, p. 81, 1781, with the same tune direction. I have aways seen this as the tune direction, but James N. Healy in <<The Second Book of Irish Ballads>> printed the song, which he said was by a Pierce Creagh about 1735, and gives a different tune, "Nac Mbaineann sin do". Another copy without music is in the 45th issue, c 1802-3, of the periodically issued <<The Charms of Melody, Dublin>>, c 1795 - 1810. The song "Larry Grogan" is much earlier than the songbooks in which it is appears, <<The Charms of Chearfulness>>, p. 143, London, 1781, a 1781. It is without music or tune direction in either, but the title gives the tune. Note the fifth line, "We'll send for sweet Larry, be merry, be merry." A song "Robin John Clarke" in <<A Collection of Loyal Songs, Poems>>, 1750, has the tune direction, "sweet Larry, be merry," undoubtably from our song. "Robin John Clark" is printed from a manuscript, but with a different tune, in J. Hogg's <<Jacobite Relics>>, I, p. 24, 1819. WBO Apr98
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