Broadside ballad entitled 'The True-Lover's Farewell to Ireland!'

Commentary

Verse 1 begins: 'Twas of a summer's evening, as I went out to walk, / I heard two charming lovers, together they did talk.' This sheet was published by James Lindsay of 9 King Street, Glasgow. A woodcut illustration of a square-rigged ship has been included to increase the perceived value of the sheet.

It was during the 1840s and 1850s that the numbers of Irish immigrants into Glasgow began to increase, to the point where the city authorities are recorded as having sent many of them back. With regular sailings between Belfast, Derry and Glasgow, this passage was cheaper to fund than that to the Americas and so it was often the only option for the poor and destitute. The topic of this sheet is perhaps meant to appeal to this section of the audience.

Early ballads were dramatic or humorous narrative songs derived from folk culture that predated printing. Originally perpetuated by word of mouth, many ballads survive because they were recorded on broadsides. Musical notation was rarely printed, as tunes were usually established favourites. The term 'ballad' eventually applied more broadly to any kind of topical or popular verse.

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