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The Irthing Water Hounds

[ Roud 5692 ; Ballad Index RcIrtWaH ; Isaac Pattinson]

Alison McMorland: Herd Laddie o’ the Glen.

Willie Scott sang The Irthing Water Hounds at a concert in The Angus Hotel, Blairgowrie, Perthshire on 13 August 1967. This recording made by Bill Leader was released in 1968 on the Topic album Festival at Blairgowrie, and was included in 1998 on the Topic anthology of songs of hunting and poaching To Catch a Fine Buck Was My Delight (The Voice of the People Volume 18). Peter Shepheard noted on the original album:

Sung with great feeling by Willie Scott, a shepherd who himself has often followed the local packs on foot over the hills of the Border country. The song was written by Isaac Pattinson of Gilsland, presumably just after the event it celebrates.

Lyrics

Willie Scott sings The Irthing Water Hounds

On the ’leventh of October, eighteen hundred and seventy three,
I will give you all particulars if you’ll listen unto me;
The hounds frae Irthing Water an appointment to fulfil.
They cast away owre the Philashaws crags, bold Reynard’s blood to spill.

Chorus (after each verse):
Tally ho hark away! Tally ho hark away!
Success to the Irthing Water hounds
O hark, hark away!

At seven o’clock that morning they reached the Philashaws crags,
They sought the ground all over and couldn’t find a drag;
Till the celebrated Mowdie he tried a favourite hole.
He turned his head unto the pack and loudly he did call.

Now, these hounds were called together with speed I do declare,
And by the head a terrier, brought Reynard from the lair.
He did his best, he headed north but, great to his surprise,
A female early in the field then darkened Reynard’s eye.

How gallantly those dogs run off; they ran him to the spy;
With loud cries of vengeance that Reynard he should die;
The followers being far behind they thought their work was done,
But they met the hounds returning with two foxes instead of one.

Now, those animals they did their best their precious blood to save,
And, seeing that the race was run, prepared for the grave.
Death was their fate they baith did own, dispute it if you can,
For they killed a fox at the Philashaws crags and another at the Naked Man.

Now, we will drink success to the Irthing lads; we will push the bottle round.
Owre lofty fells and mosses their melodious voices sound.
They are well known both far and near for the hunting of the hounds
From the Wellseas to Tynemouth Bar no better can be found.