“Remember me is all I ask, and yet
If remembrance prove a task forget”

The above is written on a seat on the banks of the Grand Canal, just down from Patrick Kavanagh’s seat. One wonders if they ever met.

William Percy French was born 150 years ago on May 1st, 1854 at the family residence, Cloonyguin House, Co Roscommon about ten miles from the town of Roscommon.

His father was Christopher French, a scholarly man who was a Doctor of Law and a Justice of the Peace. His mother from Carrick-on-Shannon was the daughter of Reverened William Percy.

The Frenchs were part of the ‘landlord’ class but had a good reputation and had a close relationship with their tenants. Percy was the second son and third child of nine and by this time the family fortune was small, so he would have to make his own way in the world.

His father sent him to Trinity College, Dublin to study civil engineering. There, he quickly found banjo playing, lawn tennis and water-colour painting more congenial than chemistry, geology and maths.

Oh, the sons of the Prophet are hardy and grim
And quite unaccustomed to fear But none were so reckless of life or of limb
As Abdulla Bulbul Amir.

His university career was distinguished only by the composition of this song ‘Abdul Abulbul Amir’, which he sold for £5 and failed to copyright. It became world-famous in a pirated edition years before he was acknowledged as the author.

After graduation from Trinity he became an apprentice to Mr George Price, Chief Engineer of the Midland board. After that he took up an appointment with the Board of Works in Cavan and became engineer on a drainage scheme.

Cavan became his home for seven years. It was perhaps the happiest time of his life; he was accepted as one of the people of the farming community. Some of his finest paintings date from this period as well as two of his best songs. ‘Phil the Fluter’s Ball’ and ‘Come Back, Paddy Reilly’.

The garden of Eden has vanished they say,
But I know the lie of it still,
Just turn to the left at the bridge of Finea,
And stop when half-way to Cootehill.
He also wrote ‘Slathery’s Mounted Fut’ at this time.

In 1889, he decided to try his luck as writer and painter in Dublin. He became editor of ‘The Jarvey’, a new comic magazine. He wrote two light operas and a number of songs, and gave lessons in painting.

With some friends he wrote and produced ‘Dublin up to Date’, a topical show with sketches, recitations, and a comic lecture on Dublin . From this he built up the solo entertainment for which he was chiefly known during his lifetime.

One day, while resting on a fine summer’s afternoon on the cliffs of Skerries, looking north towards Down, the ‘Mountains of Mourne’, his most famous song, was born.

Oh, Mary, this London’s a wonderful sight,
With the people here workin’ by day and by night,
They don’t sow potatoes, nor barley, nor wheat,
But there’s gangs o’ them diggin’ for gold in the street.

In 1900, Percy French moved to London, and became one of the most successful entertainers of his day, singing his songs to the banjo, and illustrating his stories and recitations with comic drawings.

With Dr Houston Collison, composer, gifted singer and pianist, he gave recitals in London and the provinces, and the two toured Canada, the United States and the West Indies. During the war they went to entertain troops in France.

Percy French was married twice and both marriages were happy, though the first one ended tragically in 1891 with the death of his wife on their wedding anniversary. Their baby daughter died a month later. A few years afterwards he married again, and his second wife and three daughters survived him.

On January 24th 1920, ‘The Last Troubadour’ died.