We present this work in honor of the poet’s 140th birthday.
Irish
1879 – 1958
A Piper in the streets today
Set up, and tuned, and started to play,
And away, away, away on the tide
Of his music we started; on every side
Doors and windows were opened wide,
And men left down their work and came,
And women with petticoats coloured like flame.
And little bare feet that were blue with cold,
Went dancing back to the age of gold,
And all the world went gay, went gay,
For half an hour in the street today.
Poets Corner 
I’ve always loved this poem. First heard it in John Duke’s setting but I’m so confused about the word “on” before every side.
LikeLike
I didn’t know Duke had set it to music. Must look for that.
The phrase “on every side” doesn’t strike me as particularly unusual. Can you say more about your confusion? I’ll help if I can.
LikeLike
I think my great grandfather Seamus o Sullivan wrote this poem. My mother used to read it to us as tiny children but she must have gone into huge explanation of the Victorian era the poem was set in because we could hear the joy, see the flames, smell the hustle and bustle, the poverty, touch the big grey buildings with the big front doors and taste the excitement of the street scene. I remember imagining children with grey with no shoes yet filled with colour with joy and happiness when the piper tuned up and mothers dancing and it was like a picture of heaven come to life the way my mother described it. Reading it as an adult now it isn’t as colourful so I’m guessing it was my mother’s version I remember. That said writing this has brought back the memories, sounds, smells ….. I think I thought my grandfather must have been the piper and a magician to be able to make the poor people of Dublin so happy
LikeLike
on every side obviously referred to each side of the street. I typed in the last two lines because that’s all I could remember from this poem I learned in primary school. At 44yrs old now it just came into my head for some reason!
LikeLike
I’m actually a far off relative of a famous poet,can anyone help?my mother was a ginnitty from Castletown, Co.meath and poets name was Galligan..anyone out there know his full name or bit of history about the man?
LikeLike
I would like to thank you for providing this for my perusal, ladies/sirs. I had based a more sinister poem upon its rhyming and metric framework, and needed to revisit the original, which I had not seen since my childhood, in order to give it the credit it deserves, as the template for my poem, at the outset of my work`s presentation. I am most grateful!
LikeLike