Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 29, 1918.djvu/310

 300 Folklore and History in Ireland.

before they were killed. The place for baiting them was an open space outside the city gate, called Ballybricken. It was surrounded with houses, from which spectators looked on, as at a Spanish bull-fight. In the centre was the ring through which the rope was passed. It was sur- mounted by a pole, bearing a large copper bull on a vane. In 1798, when bull baits were prohibited, this apparatus was removed, and the sport discontinued ; but prior to that it was followed with the greatest enthusiasm ; and it was not unusual to see eighteen or twenty of these animals baited during the season. . . . When, on occasions, a rope was refused by a refractory mayor, or a new one was required, the bull was driven through the streets of the town, and sometimes even into his worship's shop or hall, as a hint of what was wanted, and the civic authorities were often called out with the military to repress the riots that ensued."

A special law was passed in Dublin during George III.'s reign forbidding bulls to be seized on the way to or from market. Dublin bulls were baited in the Corn-market, and you may remember my previous account of the Mayor of the Bull-ring, who was guardian of the bachelors, and kissed the brides at the aforesaid ring. The slang song, " Lord Altham's Bull," describes a bull drive as mentioned above, and tells how :

" We drove de bull down Corn-market As all the world might segee."

There is reference to this also in another slang song dealing with the theft of a May Bush by the Liberty boys, in consequence whereof it was threatened that a bull should be driven down their streets :

" For de loss of our bush, revenge we will get Ri rigidi, ri ri dam dee, In the slaughtering season we'll tip 'em a sweat, Rigidi di do dee.