I'm Leaving Tipperary

DESCRIPTION: The singer is about to sail "across the broad Atlantic" on the "Dan O'Leary," "bound for New York City, boys, three thousand miles away." His portmanteau is packed with food. He bids all farewell. He will bring Mollie Burke when he is settled.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1901 (O'Conor-OldTimeSongsAndBalladOfIreland)
KEYWORDS: emigration farewell food America Ireland friend
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Greig/Duncan8 1754, "My Good Ship Sails in Half-an-Hour" (1 text, 1 tune)
O'Conor-OldTimeSongsAndBalladOfIreland, p. 33, "Good-By, Mike, Good-By Pat" (1 text)
DT, GDBYMICK
ADDITIONAL: Michael D Morrissey, editor, Song and Story: An Anthology of Irish Folk Songs, (Aachen, 2001 ("Digitized by Google")), p. 82, "Goodbye, Mick"
Roud #3313
NOTES [126 words]: OConor includes the line "I'll take my trunk upon my back and walk to Castle Garden." For a discussion of Castle Gardens, the New York entry point for immigrants between 1845 and 1890, see "Castle Gardens" (I). - BS
Although all the (handful of) versions of this song I have seen say that the singer sails on the Dan O'Leary, I wonder if (assuming the song is historical) it should not be the John O'Leary, after the co-editor of the Irish People (lived 1830-1907). I have so far failed to locate either a ship or a man of significance named "Dan O'Leary." Of course, this depends on just when the song came into existence. But the ship is apparently a steamer which keeps a regular schedule; this strongly implies a late nneteenth century date. - RBW
Last updated in version 2.6
File: GrD81754

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