Kitty of Coleraine

From The Cabinet of Irish Literature, Volume 2, edited by Charles A. Read

[Generally said to be anonymous, though there is good reason to believe Edward Lysaght to be the author, not only from the period of its circulation, but from the sly wit and humorous turn of the catastrophe, resembling more closely in style the productions of pleasant rollicking Ned Lysaght than those of any of his contemporaries].

As beautiful Kitty one morning was tripping
With a pitcher of milk from the fair of Coleraine,
When she saw me she stumbled, the pitcher down tumbled,
And all the sweet butter-milk watered the plain.
Oh! what shall I do now? 'twas looking at you, now;
Sure, sure, such a pitcher I'll ne'er meet again;
'Twas the pride of my dairy! O Barney M'Cleary,
You're sent as a plague to the girls of Coleraine!

I sat down beside her, and gently did chide her,
That such a misfortune should give her such pain;
A kiss then I gave her, and, ere I did leave her,
She vowed for such pleasure she'd break it again.
'Twas hay-making season--I can't tell the reason--
Misfortunes will never come single, 'tis plain;
For very soon after poor Kitty's disaster
The devil a pitcher was whole in Coleraine.

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