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    Home > Collections > Playlists

    Dusty Bluebells: Riddles and More Rhymes

    “All these rhymes are usually performed. The rhymes included here are ones which mostly have no other function than to amuse. The riddles, catches and sayings, as well as many of the rhymes, belong to the countryside rather than the town.

    Answers to the riddles are usually things that can be seen on a farm. In ‘Porridge and whey’ hired farm workers say what they think of the breakfasts they get – or used to get – from farmers who hired them.” — Hugh Shields, 1971

    1 Text • Currently viewing:

    Riddles and More Rhymes

    1. What goes over the water, riddle
    2. What goes round the house, riddle [one]
    3. What goes through the wood, riddle
    4. What goes round the house, riddle [two]
    5. My Mother Told Me [A Naughty Girl], song
    6. Mammy, Daddy, Uncle Tom, rhyme
    7. There was a little man, rhyme
    8. I’m the wee faloorie man, song
    9. Dan, Dan, the funny wee man, rhyme
    10. Jack Smith, a fellow fine, rhyme
    11. Riddle me riddle me randy bo, riddle
    12. Wee Jinny with the red nose, rhyme
    13. Teachtaire beag ó theach go teach agus bíonn sé amuigh san oíche, riddle
    14. Tá bean beag amuigh ansin, riddle
    15. Paschale and Alan were sitting on a tree, rhyme
    16. Humpty Dumpty, rhyme
    17. Now Barry and Joan were under a bush, song
    18. Please keep off the grass, sir, rhyme
    19. Down in the alley where the green grass grows, song
    20. A creel of peats, tongue-twister
    21. There was a fiddler in Dublin, riddle
    22. How many feet has forty sheep, rhyme
    23. If there were twenty-six sheep, rhyme
    24. If a fella met a fella, tongue-twister
    25. My aunt Jane she called me in, song
    26. Mrs Kelly, rhyme
    27. Mrs White, rhyme
    28. Porridge and whey, rhyme
    29. Chewing gum a penny a packet, song
    30. As I went through yon guttery gap, riddle
    31. As I went up a slithery gap, rhyme
    32. As I went over Corny hill, rhyme
    33. C E L T I C, song
    34. Two, four, six, eight, rhyme
    35. As I went o’er Carnearney Hill, riddle

    • 35 Tracks
    • • Now Playing:

    What goes over the water, riddle / Paddy Tunney, speech in English

    February 1965

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    • What goes over the water, riddle / Paddy Tunney, speech in English

    • What goes round the house, riddle [one] / Paddy Tunney, speech in English

    • What goes through the wood, riddle / Paddy Tunney, speech in English

    • What goes round the house, riddle [two] / Paddy Tunney, speech in English

    • My Mother Told Me [A Naughty Girl], song / Deborah Crowley, singing in English

    • Mammy, Daddy, Uncle Tom, rhyme / Peter Church, speech in English

    • There was a little man, rhyme / Daphne Hillis, speech in English

    • I’m the wee faloorie man, song / Norah Shields, singing in English

    • Dan, Dan, the funny wee man, rhyme / Ann Clarke & [Brian] Clarke, speech in English

    • Jack Smith, a fellow fine, rhyme / Eddie Butcher, speech in English

    • Riddle me riddle me randy bo, riddle / Paddy Tunney, speech in English

    • Wee Jinny with the red nose, rhyme / Eileen Keaney, speech in English

    • Teachtaire beag ó theach go teach agus bíonn sé amuigh san oíche, riddle / Patrick Heekin, speech in Irish

    • Tá bean beag amuigh ansin, riddle / Patrick Heekin, speech in Irish

    • Paschale and Alan were sitting on a tree, rhyme / Joan Smith, speech in English

    • Humpty Dumpty, rhyme / Denis Shields & Kitty Shields, speech in English

    • Now Barry and Joan were under a bush, song / Kevin Smith, singing in English

    • Please keep off the grass, sir, rhyme / Marie Smith, speech in English

    • Down in the alley where the green grass grows, song / Kevin Smith, singing in English

    • A creel of peats, tongue-twister / Eddie Butcher, speech in English

    • There was a fiddler in Dublin, riddle / Paddy Tunney, speech in English

    • How many feet has forty sheep, rhyme / Eddie Butcher, speech in English

    • If there were twenty-six sheep, rhyme / Eddie Butcher, speech in English

    • If a fella met a fella, tongue-twister / Ursula O’Hara & Hugh Shields, speech in English

    • My aunt Jane she called me in, song / Eileen Keaney, singing in English

    • Mrs Kelly, rhyme / Michael Shields, speech in English

    • Mrs White, rhyme / Michael Shields, speech in English

    • Porridge and whey, rhyme / John Shields, speech in English

    • Chewing gum a penny a packet, song / Ann Clarke, singing in English

    • As I went through yon guttery gap, riddle / Paddy Tunney, speech in English

    • As I went up a slithery gap, rhyme / Eileen Keaney, speech in English

    • As I went over Corny hill, rhyme / Eddie Butcher, speech in English

    • C E L T I C, song / Raymond Crowley, singing in English

    • Two, four, six, eight, rhyme / Raymond Crowley & David Tracey, speech in English

    • As I went o’er Carnearney Hill, riddle / Arthur Coulter, speech in English

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