Page 11 - The 16th Percy French Festival: Our Great Disconnect

to re-read it with the second and third lines transposed, giving a radically different published on 24th August 1889,
meaning to the poem. The version that was printed in The Jarvey follows on the left; which would not have been out
the version with the lines transposed is on the right: of place in the anti-land lord
United Ireland newspaper, which
We hold the uncrowned King to be We hold the uncrowned King to be was edited by William O’Brien MP,
The saviour of our liberty: None other than a knave or fool: one of the principal leaders of the
None other than a knave or fool The saviour of our liberty Plan of Campaign agrarian agita -
tion. (Illus. 7) It was not until the
Would ever combat Parnell’s rule. Would ever combat Parnell’s rule.
last two editions of The Jarvey that

the newspaper focused on Home
The Jarvey’s columns do not mean The Jarvey’s columns do not mean
Rule in a direct fashion, when
To put the red above the green: To court and win the League’s applause:
French published some amusing
To court and win the League’s applause To put the red above the green
skits that poked fun at Parnellites
Is still consistent with the laws. Is still consistent with the laws.
(including Parnell himself) and
anti-Parnellites in the wake of the
We love and venerate the man We love and venerate the man split in the Irish Parliamentary

Who of Campaign adopts the Plan: Who gladly pays his landlord’s rent: Party. French evidently intended
Who gladly pays his landlord’s rent, Who of Campaign adopts the Plan to continue with these skits, but
To Coventry should straight be sent. To Coventry should straight be sent. they came to an end because
Mecredy had decided that The
When patriots ‘scape from Balfour’s gripe When patriots ‘scape from Balfour’s gripe Jarvey had reached the end of its
We print the fact in larger type: We fringe with black our mournful sheets: natural life, ‘[t]he allotted life of
We fringe with black our mournful sheets We print the fact in larger type a Dublin comic journal being two
19
years’ The 1890 Christmas
.
When Tories conquer Liberal seats. When Tories conquer Liberal seats.
special issue, titled ‘French Plums’,

was French’s last publication as
That man we simply execrate That man we simply execrate 20
The Jarvey’s editor. (Illus. 8)
Who fears to speak of ’98: Who nurtures freedom’s cherished dream:

Who nurtures freedom’s cherished dream, Who fears to speak of ‘98
Does the fact that The Jarvey usually ignored Ireland’s major political controver sies
To him we give our best esteem. To him we give our best esteem. 18 mean that it is not worth the historian’s time in reading it? Far from it. Polit ical his -

tor ians will find much to interest them in French’s comments on various minor
political issues of the day, as well as his humorous (and occa sionally abrasive) social
This cleverly constructed poem is only one of numerous examples in The Jarvey commentary. Social and cultural historians will delight in his quirky recrea tion of
of French’s skill as a wordsmith and his delight in playing with the English language. the world of the Irish middle and landed classes, which is brought to life through
a dazzling array of sketches, poems, cartoons, limericks, puns and comic short
Although The Jarvey proclaimed its political neutrality on a number of occa sions, it did stories. Percy French once declared that ‘I was born a boy and have remained one
21
not entirely ignore the two major Irish political issues of the day, Home Rule and the ever since’. The Jarvey’s pages testify to his boyish inability or refusal to take the
land question. However, rather than address the issue of Home Rule directly, on a small world too seriously.
number of occasions French playfully depolit icised the issue entirely by characterising
‘Home Rule’ as a domestic situation where wives tyrannised their husbands. (Illus. 6) Brian Griffin
French also published a num ber of humorous cartoons representing interactions
between peasants and landlords, which again dodged the contentious issues which
were involved in the land question. The main exception is a cartoon which was above Illus. 6. Home Rule in action. Cartoon by Richard Caulfeild Orpen in The Jarvey, 3rd January 1889.
•8• THE P ERCY FRENCH FESTIVAL 2024 OUR GREAT DISCON N EC T •9•