William Percy French
Encyclopedia
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
's foremost songwriters and entertainers in his day. In more recent times, he has become recognised for his watercolour paintings as well.
Life
French was born at CloonyquinHouse, near Elphin
Elphin
In Welsh mythology, Elffin ap Gwyddno was a son of Gwyddno Garanhir, 'Lord of Ceredigion'. The earliest example of the name occurs in several of the mythological poems attributed to Taliesin in the Book of Taliesin. The date of their composition is uncertain but probably predates the Norman...
, County Roscommon
County Roscommon
County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county...
, the son of a Protestant landlord. He was educated at Foyle College, Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, and wrote his first successful song while studying at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) in 1877 for a "smoking concert". The song "Abdul Abulbul Amir
Abdul Abulbul Amir
"Abdul Abulbul Amir" is a poem written in 1877 by Percy French and later set to music. It tells the story of two valiant heroes — a Russian, Ivan Skavinsky Skavar, and one of the Shah's mamelukes, Abdul Abulbul Amir — who because of their pride end up in a fight and kill each other...
" was sold for £5 to an unscrupulous publisher. The song later became hugely popular and was falsely claimed by other authors.
Cavan
Cavan is the county town of County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland. The town lies in the north central part of Ireland, near the border with Northern Ireland...
as an Inspector of Drains. It is said that he wrote his best songs during this period. He also painted: he was a prolific painter of landscape watercolours and during this period considered art to be his true vocation. In fact, when he became well-known later in his life, his paintings from his time as a civil engineer became fashionable and sought after. When the Board reduced its staff around 1887, French turned to journalism as the editor of The Jarvey, a weekly comic paper.
When the paper failed, French's long and successful career as a songwriter and entertainer began. He became renowned for composing and singing comic songs and gained considerable distinction with such songs as "Phil the Fluther's Ball", "Slattery's Mounted Foot
Slattery's Mounted Foot
The lyrics to the song "Slattery's Mounted Foot" were written in 1889 by the 19th Century Irish musician Percy French. The song is representative of French's comic works...
", and "The Mountains of Mourne
The Mountains of Mourne
The lyrics to the song "The Mountains of Mourne" were written by Irish musician Percy French. It is normally sung to the traditional Irish folk tune Carrigdonn or Carrigdhoun as it is sometimes spelt. This was the same tune used by Thomas Moore for his song "Bendemeer's Stream".The song is...
". (This last was one of several written with his friend, stage partner and fellow composer, Dr W. Houston Collisson.) But perhaps one of French's most famous songs is "Are Ye Right There Michael
Are Ye Right There Michael
Are Ye Right There Michael is a song by the 19th-century and early 20th-century Irish composer and musician Percy French, parodying the state of the West Clare Railway system in rural County Clare...
", a song ridiculing the state of the rail system in rural County Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
. The song caused such embarrassment to the rail company that it led to a libel action against French, though this ultimately failed. (It is said that French arrived late for the libel hearing at the court, and when questioned by the judge on his lateness, he responded "Your honour, I travelled by the West Clare Railway
West Clare Railway
The West Clare Railway originally operated in County Clare, Ireland between 1887 and 1961, and has partially re-opened. This gauge narrow gauge railway ran from the county town of Ennis, via numerous stopping-points along the West Clare coast to two termini, at Kilrush and Kilkee...
," resulting in the case being thrown out.)
French took ill while performing in Glasgow and died some days later (from pneumonia) in Formby
Formby
Formby is a town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It has a population of approximately 25,000....
at the home of his cousin Canon Richardson of Green Lea, College Avenue on 24 January 1920, aged 65. His grave is to be found in the churchyard of St. Luke's Parish Church, Formby
Formby
Formby is a town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It has a population of approximately 25,000....
in Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
. A statue of him sits on a park bench in the town center of Ballyjamesduff
Ballyjamesduff
Ballyjamesduff is a medium-sized town with a population of 2,240 in County Cavan in Ireland, located on the R194 regional road. Formerly a market town and winner of the 1966 and 1967 Irish Tidy Towns Competition, Ballyjamesduff is now one of the fastest growing towns in the region due to its...
in honour of him and his famous song, "Come back Paddy Reilly to Ballyjamesduff".
Songs
The following songs are attributed to Percy French:- Abdul Abulbul AmirAbdul Abulbul Amir"Abdul Abulbul Amir" is a poem written in 1877 by Percy French and later set to music. It tells the story of two valiant heroes — a Russian, Ivan Skavinsky Skavar, and one of the Shah's mamelukes, Abdul Abulbul Amir — who because of their pride end up in a fight and kill each other...
, 1877 - Sweet Marie
- Rafferty's Racin' Mare
- The Hoodoo
- The Oklahoma Rose, 1910
- Phil the Fluther's Ball
- Come Back Paddy Reilly to Ballyjamesduff, 1912
- Slattery's Mounted Fut, 1889
- Andy McElroe, 1888
- Fighting McGuire
- The Girl on a Big Black Mare
- Mat Hannigan's Aunt, 1892
- Little Brigid Flynn
- Mick's Hotel
- The Mountains of MourneThe Mountains of MourneThe lyrics to the song "The Mountains of Mourne" were written by Irish musician Percy French. It is normally sung to the traditional Irish folk tune Carrigdonn or Carrigdhoun as it is sometimes spelt. This was the same tune used by Thomas Moore for his song "Bendemeer's Stream".The song is...
, 1896 - When Erin Wakes, 1900
- McBreen's Heifer
- The Fortunes of Finnegan
- Mulligan's Masquerade
- The Night that Miss Cooney Eloped
- Drumcolligher
- Jim Wheelahan's Automobeel
- Are Ye Right There MichaelAre Ye Right There MichaelAre Ye Right There Michael is a song by the 19th-century and early 20th-century Irish composer and musician Percy French, parodying the state of the West Clare Railway system in rural County Clare...
?, 1897 - Eileen Oge (The Pride of Petravore)
- Donegan's Daughter
- Father O'Callaghan
- Maguire's Motor Bike
- Whistlin' Phil McHugh
- No More of Yer Golfin' for Me
- The Darlin' Girl from Clare
- Pretendy Land, 1907
- Mrs Brady
- The Mary Ann McHugh
- The Kerry Courting, 1909
- A Sailor Courted a Farmer's Daughter (parody of the folk song)
- Tullinahaw, 1910
- The Emigrants's Letter, 1910
- Kitty Gallagher
- Flanagan's Flying Machine, 1911
- Who said the Hook never Hurted the Worms?
- I Fought a Fierce Hyena
- The Killyran Wrackers, 1914
- Larry Mick McGarry, 1915