Oh Emyvale, Sweet Emyvale

This is an old rhyme from North Monaghan, probably 100 to 200 years old, hard to tell age really, but it’s preserved in the oral tradition. The verse goes

Oh Emyvale, Sweet Emyvale,
Neither Church Spire nor Steeple,
And at every door, there stands a hoor
Criticising decent people.

Traditional Verse, North Monaghan, Ireland

The only other possible connecting verse I could find was this one below which was noted on the Emyvale.net website. They may have been too shy to include the slightly crude first verse I mentioned.

“Oh Emyvale, Sweet Emyvale,
If you were as free from sin
As you are from meal,
You’d be the happy Emyvale.”

Signed by A. Perrett.



Reply, I'm all eyes.