Mickey Marley was a street entertainer from Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

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Born in the Markets area of Belfast, but spending most of his life on the Grosvenor Road in the Falls area of West Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

, Marley was a common sight in Belfast City Centre

Belfast City Centre

Belfast city centre is the central business district of Belfast, Northern Ireland.The city centre was originally centred around the Donegall Street area. Donegall Street is now mainly a business area, but with expanding residential and entertainment development as part of the Cathedral Quarter...

 for over forty years.

Drawn by his horse Joey, Marley would tour the streets of Belfast with his hobby-horse roundabout

Carousel

A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...

. When he retired he sold the roundabout to the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum

Ulster Folk and Transport Museum

The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum is situated in Cultra, Northern Ireland, about east of the city of Belfast. It comprises two separate museums, the Folk Museum and the Transport Museum...

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His local fame was enhanced by a recording of the song "Mickey Marley's Roundabout" (written by Belfastman Seamus Robinson

Seamus Robinson (songwriter)

Seamus Robinson was an Irish composer born in the Carrick Hill area of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Working in the English or Irish language, he composed many patriotic ballads and folk-songs....

) which was a popular children's request on BBC Radio Ulster

BBC Radio Ulster

BBC Radio Ulster is one of two Northern Irish BBC radio stations, the other being BBC Radio Foyle located in the city of Derry. BBC Radio Ulster is located at Broadcasting House in the Ormeau Avenue area of Belfast city centre...

. BBC Northern Ireland

BBC Northern Ireland

BBC Northern Ireland is the main public service broadcaster in Northern Ireland.The organisation is one of the three national regions of the BBC, together with BBC Scotland and BBC Wales. Based at Broadcasting House, Belfast, it provides television, radio, online and interactive television content...

 also made a documentary on his life. The 1973 film followed Marley's everyday life, against the backdrop of the heavy British Army

British Army

The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...

 presence on the streets of Belfast during the early years of the Troubles

The Troubles

The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...

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The chorus of Mickey Marley's Roundabout is:

Round and round and up and down,

Through the streets of Belfast town,

All the children laugh and shout,

Here comes Mickey's roundabout.