Uploaded June 2021 | Updated September 2026, 19 hours ago
The Creggan White Hare (Roud No. 9633) - Sung by Lizzie Clarke (Lizzie Pheadair Joe), housewife, An Creagán & Beinn an Phréacháin, Greencastle, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Recorded by Peter Smith and Francis Clarke sometime between 1980 and 1991. From "Songs from the Sperrins: Traditional Singing from Mid & North Tyrone" (2009) Beaghmore Publications 01.
Note by Kevin W.:
"Songs from the Sperrins" is a collection of traditional songs that were gathered in the Sperrin Mountains by Peter Smith and Francis Clarke in the 1980s. The book also included a double CD with the original field recordings. I was delighted to find this splendid version of "The Creggan White Hare" among them.
Maggy Murphy of Tempo, County Fermanagh knew the song as "The White Hare of Golan". Her version was recorded by Keith Summers in 1982 and included on "I Pray You Pay Attention" (2014) Musical Traditions MTCD 367-8.
Yet another version was recorded in 1952 by Peter Kennedy and Sean O'Boyle for the BBC from Vincent Donnelly in Castlecaulfield, County Tyrone. Sadly the recording is not available digitally.
More recently Kevin Mitchell recorded the song on "Kevin and Ellen Mitchell: Have a Drop Mair" (2001) Musical Traditions MTCD315-6.
Song transcription:
In the lowlands of Creggan there is a White Hare
She's as swift as a swallow that flies through the air.
You may search this wide world but there's none to compare
She's the pride of Lower Creggan, our bonny White Hare.
On a fine Sunday morning, as you may suppose,
When the bright Autumn sun o'er yon green hills arose.
Barney Conway came around boys, and this did declare:
"This day I'll put an end to the bonny White Hare."
He searched through the mountains and he searched through the glens
And among the green rushes where the White Hare had dens,
Till at length coming home on a lea-rig quite bare,
From behind a wild thistle jumped the bonny White Hare.
And 'bang' went his gun and his dog he let too
But as swift as a swallow the White Hare she flew,
The dog soon came back which made poor Barney sigh
It's a sign that the White Hare had bid him "goodbye".
The next that came 'round boys, the truth I will tell.
Was a man called Pat Devlin with a grew called 'Black Nell'
He said "With this White Hare today we'll have fun".
Here's twenty-to-one, Black Nell will make her run."
The hare she got up from behind yon brown knowe,
As swift as the swallow she fled through the fliodh,
She made over for yon meadows 'till she'd cross o'er the burn
But as swift as the hare, was Black Nell made her turn.
On went the hunt, boys, it was lovely to see.
As the White Hare and black dog moved lightly and free
Five turns the hare got by bonny Black Nell,
And the ninth turn was given around John Haughey's well.
On, on went the hunt, boys, it was lovely and grand
There's no doubt, the White Hare is the pride of our land
She made over for Esker where she knew the lanes well
And to the black greyhound the hare bade farewell.
There were some jolly sportsmen came here from Pomeroy
Coalisland and Cookstown, and likewise the Moy.
With their pedigree greyhounds they brought from afar
They landed in Creggan in their fine motor cars.
Down to the lowlands these sportsmen did go.
In search of the White Hare they tried high and low
When at last one brave sportsman on a turf-bank quite bare
Cried out to his comrades: "Here lies the White Hare."
They called in their dogs, boys, from off the green lea
And the sportsmen and beaters they jumped high with glee.
Right there on the turf bank they gathered around.
Nine men and seven dogs did the White Hare surround.
No wonder the White Hare would tremble with fear.
As she looked at the greyhounds she shook her big ears,
She got up her on her toes and with one mighty spring
She jumped o'er the greyhounds and broke through the ring.
On went the hare, boys, like lightning she flew
Across the green meadows through the bright Autumn dew,
With their pedigree greyhounds they didn't go far.
They came back and went home in their fine motor cars.
One day, Johnny McKenna was digging some ground
To his surprise sure the White Hare came round,
She said to McKenna "Who's the man with the dog?
Don't you see him out yonder coming through the Black Bog?"
McKenna looked up stuck his spade in the ground
Said he "that's a poocher called Jimmy McKeown."
"Ah well," said the hare, "I can sleep snug and well.
I thought it was Devlin and bonny Black Nell."
Now to finish my song, boys, I think it is time.
I hope you'll forgive me this short little rhyme.
If there is any amongst you has money to spare,
Drink a jolly good health to her in next Carman Fair.
The Creggan White Hare (Roud No. 9633) - Sung by Lizzie Clarke (Lizzie Pheadair Joe), housewife, An Creagán & Beinn an Phréacháin, Greencastle, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Recorded by Peter Smith and Francis Clarke sometime between 1980 and 1991. From "Songs from the Sperrins: Traditional Singing from Mid & North Tyrone" (2009) Beaghmore Publications 01.
Note by Kevin W.:
"Songs from the Sperrins" is a collection of traditional songs that were gathered in the Sperrin Mountains by Peter Smith and Francis Clarke in the 1980s. The book also included a double CD with the original field recordings. I was delighted to find this splendid version of "The Creggan White Hare" among them.
Maggy Murphy of Tempo, County Fermanagh knew the song as "The White Hare of Golan". Her version was recorded by Keith Summers in 1982 and included on "I Pray You Pay Attention" (2014) Musical Traditions MTCD 367-8.
Yet another version was recorded in 1952 by Peter Kennedy and Sean O'Boyle for the BBC from Vincent Donnelly in Castlecaulfield, County Tyrone. Sadly the recording is not available digitally.
More recently Kevin Mitchell recorded the song on "Kevin and Ellen Mitchell: Have a Drop Mair" (2001) Musical Traditions MTCD315-6.
Song transcription:
In the lowlands of Creggan there is a White Hare
She's as swift as a swallow that flies through the air.
You may search this wide world but there's none to compare
She's the pride of Lower Creggan, our bonny White Hare.
On a fine Sunday morning, as you may suppose,
When the bright Autumn sun o'er yon green hills arose.
Barney Conway came around boys, and this did declare:
"This day I'll put an end to the bonny White Hare."
He searched through the mountains and he searched through the glens
And among the green rushes where the White Hare had dens,
Till at length coming home on a lea-rig quite bare,
From behind a wild thistle jumped the bonny White Hare.
And 'bang' went his gun and his dog he let too
But as swift as a swallow the White Hare she flew,
The dog soon came back which made poor Barney sigh
It's a sign that the White Hare had bid him "goodbye".
The next that came 'round boys, the truth I will tell.
Was a man called Pat Devlin with a grew called 'Black Nell'
He said "With this White Hare today we'll have fun".
Here's twenty-to-one, Black Nell will make her run."
The hare she got up from behind yon brown knowe,
As swift as the swallow she fled through the fliodh,
She made over for yon meadows 'till she'd cross o'er the burn
But as swift as the hare, was Black Nell made her turn.
On went the hunt, boys, it was lovely to see.
As the White Hare and black dog moved lightly and free
Five turns the hare got by bonny Black Nell,
And the ninth turn was given around John Haughey's well.
On, on went the hunt, boys, it was lovely and grand
There's no doubt, the White Hare is the pride of our land
She made over for Esker where she knew the lanes well
And to the black greyhound the hare bade farewell.
There were some jolly sportsmen came here from Pomeroy
Coalisland and Cookstown, and likewise the Moy.
With their pedigree greyhounds they brought from afar
They landed in Creggan in their fine motor cars.
Down to the lowlands these sportsmen did go.
In search of the White Hare they tried high and low
When at last one brave sportsman on a turf-bank quite bare
Cried out to his comrades: "Here lies the White Hare."
They called in their dogs, boys, from off the green lea
And the sportsmen and beaters they jumped high with glee.
Right there on the turf bank they gathered around.
Nine men and seven dogs did the White Hare surround.
No wonder the White Hare would tremble with fear.
As she looked at the greyhounds she shook her big ears,
She got up her on her toes and with one mighty spring
She jumped o'er the greyhounds and broke through the ring.
On went the hare, boys, like lightning she flew
Across the green meadows through the bright Autumn dew,
With their pedigree greyhounds they didn't go far.
They came back and went home in their fine motor cars.
One day, Johnny McKenna was digging some ground
To his surprise sure the White Hare came round,
She said to McKenna "Who's the man with the dog?
Don't you see him out yonder coming through the Black Bog?"
McKenna looked up stuck his spade in the ground
Said he "that's a poocher called Jimmy McKeown."
"Ah well," said the hare, "I can sleep snug and well.
I thought it was Devlin and bonny Black Nell."
Now to finish my song, boys, I think it is time.
I hope you'll forgive me this short little rhyme.
If there is any amongst you has money to spare,
Drink a jolly good health to her in next Carman Fair.
