Wreck of the Vartry, The

DESCRIPTION: The Vartry sailed the Liffee overloaded with a cargo of Double X casks. A storm sinks her "ere they reached the Customs House" "All ye who drink of James's Gate (No matter what your sex), Take warning by the Vartry's fate, Thro' too much Double X!"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1929 (OLochlainn-IrishStreetBallads)
KEYWORDS: river ship drink storm wreck humorous
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
1907 - wreck of the Guinness barge Vartry (OLochlainn-IrishStreetBallads)
FOUND IN: Ireland
REFERENCES (2 citations):
OLochlainn-IrishStreetBallads, p. 231, "The Wreck of the Vartry" (1 fragment)
OLochlainn-MoreIrishStreetBallads, pp. 251-252, "The Wreck of the Vartry" (1 text)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Limerick Is Beautiful" (tune)
cf. "The E-ri-e" (theme) and references there
cf. "The Calabar" (theme and first line)
NOTES [51 words]: OLochlainn-MoreIrishStreetBallads: "In 1920 there were 12 Guinness barges in use.... The Vartry was built in 1902. The Wreck celebrated in the ballad occurred in 1907. These red and black funnelled steam barges plied the Guinness wharf near Kingsbridge, and the Customs House Quay, up to the year 1963." - BS
File: OLoc231A

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