The Litany for Doneraile
Alas! how dismal is my tale,
I lost my watch in Doneraile.
My Dublin watch, my chain and seal,
Pilfer'd at once in Doneraile.
My Fire and Brimstone never fail
To fall in show'rs on Doneraile.
My all the leading Fiends assail
The thieving Town of Doneraile.
As light'ning's flash across the vale,
So down to Hell with Doneraile.
May Beef or Mutton, Lamb or Veal,
Be never found in Doneraile,
But Garlic Soup and scurvy Cale
Be still the food for Doneraile.
May Heav'n a chosen Curse entail
On rigid rotten Doneraile.
May Sun and Moon for ever fail
To beam their lights on Doneraile.
May ev'ry pestilential Gale
Blast that curs'd spot called Doneraile.
May no Cuckoo, Thrush, or Quail,
Be ever heard in Doneraile.
May Patriots, Kings, and Commonweal,
Despise and harass Doneraile.
May ev'ry Post, Gazette and Mail,
Sad tiding bring of Doneraile.
May profit light and tardy sale
Still damp the Trade of Doneraile.
May not one wish or pray'r avail
To soothe the woes of Doneraile.
May th'Inquisition straight impale
The Rapparies of Doneraile.
May curse of Sodom now prevail
And sink to ashes Doneraile.
May Charon's Boat triumphant sail
Completely Mann'd from Doneraile.
May ev'ry churn and milking pail
Fall dry to staves in Doneraile.
May vengeance fall at head and tail,
From North to South at Doneraile.
May Egypt's plagues at once prevail
To thin the Knaves of Doneraile.
May frost & snow, and sleet & hail
Benumb each joint in Doneraile.
May wolves & bloodhounds trace & trail
The cursed crew of Doneraile.
May Oscar with his fiery flail
To Atoms thresh all Doneraile.
May ev'ry mischief fresh and stale
Abide henceforth in Doneraile.
May all from Belfast to Kinsale
Scoff, curse, and damn you, Doneraile.
May want and woe each joy curtail
That e'er was known in Doneraile.
May not one Coffin want a nail
That wraps a rogue in Doneraile.
May all the Sons of Granaweal
Blush at the thieves of Doneraile.
May Curses wholesale and retail
Pour with full force on Doneraile.
Oh! may my Couplets never fail
To find new cures for Doneraile.
Commentary
A wonderful Irish curse, full of fire, brimstone and enthusiasm. Whatever the poet may have lacked for, it certainly wasn’t inspiration, and the couplet form, ending every second line with ‘Doneraile’, brings out his ire beautifully. The fact that he paid to have it printed (see note) suggests the incident is true - ah, the fine art of wrathful vengenace :)
— Martin
Note
Seamus Cooney, whose page I found this on, says ‘A vigorous example by a little-known early 19th century author (1754-1835?), who paid to have it printed in 1812.’
– http://www.wmich.edu/english/tchg/lit/pms/curses.html
I couldn’t find a biography of O’Kelly’s - ‘little known’ appears to have been accurate, and a web search came up with nothing. If you know anything about him, do write in.
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From the Wondering Minstrels mailing list, 1999–2008.
Anthony Munnelly · 27 April 2001
Thought you might be interested in the story behind the Doneraile curse.
O’Kelly was a poet of the bardic tradition that was very much on its last legs by his time. Bards would go from area to area, relying on the kindness of the local aristocracy to give them bed and board. In return, they would compose poetry that praised the local bigshot.
It came to pass that O’Kelly was staying in Doneraile, a small village outside the town on Mallow, Co Cork, when his watch was stolen. O’Kelly, a man of some ego by all accounts, took severe umbrage at this at wrote the Doneraile Curse, which is magnificent, and leaves no aspect of Doneraile unscathed, full of marvellous lines like “may all the leading fiends assail / The thieving town of Doneraile.”
The story has a sequel however. Lady Doneraile came accross the poem and realised that it was by no means good for business. So she bought O’Kelly a new watch and presented it to him with much ceremony. O’Kelly was so delighted that he wrote another poem, where he goes through the curse line by line and reverses its effects. It starts:
“Hurrah! how joyous is my tale
I found my watch in Doneraile
My Dublin watch, my chain and seal
Returned to me in Doneraile..”
And it goes on like that throughout the poem. It’s the curse itself that’s remembered though - I met a man from Doneraile when I was in College and he told me that O’Kelly’s recantation didn’t reverse the effect of the famous curse.
Love the website by the way.
Anthony Munnelly.
Russell · 19 October 2004
“my”in lines 4 and 6 should read “may.”
puer senex
Neill O'Donnell · 4 May 2006
Attahed please find the Palinode or Recantation to the Curse of Doneraile. Neill.
Gregory Schirmer · 4 October 2007
Dear Anthony Munnelly,
I’d be grateful for any information or sources about Patrick O’Kelly that you might have to hand.
Many thanks.
Gregory A. Schirmer
Dept. of English
Univeristy of Mississippi