{"id":4187,"date":"2017-11-25T10:40:59","date_gmt":"2017-11-25T10:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/?p=4187"},"modified":"2017-11-25T10:40:59","modified_gmt":"2017-11-25T10:40:59","slug":"remembering-a-country-girl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/remembering-a-country-girl\/","title":{"rendered":"Remembering a Country Girl"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>
The Duignan homestead in Edenmore in Longford where Chicago May grew up – picture from Google Streetview<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Verses pondering the life of May Ann Duignan (Degnan), aka Mrs May Churchill Sharpe, aka Chicago May, as I walked past her families homestead on the way to my own one summers evening. Indeed, any of us could have turned out the same, if we take the path she took when adversity struck us? Longford does not do bad girls normally, but when she does, they are the baddest of the bad bad girls!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Mary<\/a>
Mary Ann Duignan was the daughter of Francis Duignan of Edenmore in Ballinamuck where she grew up, and Ann Grey of Mohill in Leirtim. From a poor background she would rise – or fall as we may see it! – to being one of the biggest conwomen of her time, who would call herself the “Queen of Crooks”, in time though, the law caought up with her and she died in poverty and obscurity. She was the Ronnie Biggs of her day…<\/figcaption><\/figure>She walked this lane where here I walk
\nTo go to the village, the town, school, and mass
\nShe spoke as the people to whom I speak
\nAs I, walking here, them pass.<\/p>\n

She tired of being a second mother to her siblings young
\nHer heart yearned for something more
\nThis simple girl from an Irish lane
\nWould be like few others since or before.<\/p>\n

She blazed a trail the world around
\nAs one does who has nothing to lose
\nFor she burned her bridges when the left that night
\nHer sister was born – her path she did choose.<\/p>\n

She was to see Broadway from the stage
\nThe streets from the bars of a prison van
\nThe high life with the best, the bordels with the worst
\nChose to call the roughest men as her man.<\/p>\n

But, this prodigal daughter, was to return –
\nWhat was said when she turned up at their door? –
\nBetween them leave it be – its not for you and me
\nTo discuss between us anymore!<\/p>\n

She was not to stay for long, it was not her style
\nShe disappeared as sudden as she had some
\nHer mother went to her grave perhaps more at peace
\nMay too having reconciled somewhat with those of where she was from.<\/p>\n

She was to die in middle age prime
\nNot by the knife or the gun was her luck
\nBut in the humblest of ways, as if she never left home
\nShe was laid low by the “buck” (1)<\/p>\n

Her tale on paper was set by the words of a man
\nWho said to write for others to read what she could recall
\nMaybe it shows some shame though she brazenly denied any
\nShe left out she was from Longford at all.<\/p>\n

Of a Dublin birth, and romantic tearaway years
\nWas the words in deceit that she weaved…
\nThe latest of lies in a life made of mats of the same
\nThe readers the latest victims she decieved.<\/p>\n

She was from honest folk from hard cruel land
\nShe had good and bad as we all do and all are:
\nI walk to my home past hers as the night falls down
\nI remember this country girl who went wrong but went far!<\/p>\n

Glossary:
\n(1) the Buck<\/strong> – Hiberno English term for cancer, it was said to be bad luck to refer to it by name, so it was given a round about reference. Lit. “the thing”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

Chicago May: Her Story – May Churchill Sharpe (ne\u00e9 Duignan)
\n[amazon_link asins=’B00F0WILEA’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’tomjcarty-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’964e6b43-d1ca-11e7-9c60-b3350403e186′] Her writing of her story, in which she claims she was born in Dublin, and not in Longford, and as some women do, takes a decade or more off her age!<\/p>\n

[amazon_link asins=’B011W9D0EA’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’tomjcarty-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’e31b5df4-d1ca-11e7-8da0-1bf4ed610b48′]Nuala O Faolains book giving her take and commentary as a feminist on this trail blazer who showed what a woman could be but no-one should be!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Verses pondering the life of May Ann Duignan (Degnan), aka Mrs May Churchill Sharpe, aka Chicago May, as I walked past her families homestead on the way to my own one summers evening. Indeed, any of us could have turned out the same, if we take the path she took …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3429,23],"tags":[161,2695,4037,1868,4033,4031,4035,4036,4034,4030,4029,4028,4027,4032],"class_list":["post-4187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lesser-known-ireland","category-north-longford","tag-ballinamuck","tag-chicago-may","tag-eddie-guerin","tag-edenmore","tag-female-crooks","tag-feminist","tag-ganster","tag-gansters-moll","tag-irish-abroad","tag-may-ann-degnan","tag-may-ann-duignan","tag-may-churchill-sharpe","tag-queen-of-crooks","tag-trailblazing-women","column","twocol"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7EI4f-15x","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2562,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/chicago-may\/","url_meta":{"origin":4187,"position":0},"title":"Chicago May – the Mary Ann Duignan Story…","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"18th February 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Not for her the toil of the cold hard soil The neighbours angry word, the calling agent of the landlord The cries of hungry children and roars of drunken men The cattle bearing the ribbonmens sword: a mother of many with more on board Her? She saught freedom. She\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "North Longford"","block_context":{"text":"North Longford","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/north-longford\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Court sketch of Chicago May on trial in 1907","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Chicago-May-on-trial-in-1907.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Chicago-May-on-trial-in-1907.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Chicago-May-on-trial-in-1907.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4403,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/funeral-for-a-thief\/","url_meta":{"origin":4187,"position":1},"title":"Funeral for a Thief","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"21st September 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Helen of Troy launched a thousand ships... Chicago May and her wild red hair sent many men to their deaths, or to kill...","rel":"","context":"In "Death"","block_context":{"text":"Death","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/death\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Finchley Cemetry when it was consecrated in 1854","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Finchley-Cemetry-when-it-was-consecrated-in-1854.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Finchley-Cemetry-when-it-was-consecrated-in-1854.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Finchley-Cemetry-when-it-was-consecrated-in-1854.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3677,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/long-walk-in-edenmore-bog\/","url_meta":{"origin":4187,"position":2},"title":"Long Walk in Edenmore Bog","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"21st April 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Walking the bog in Longford brought this reflection on life to mind - a rare nonrhyming poem from me! Walking the long way home Brought me to a beauty That I had not seen for years... Having not walked this path Meaning to do so later When weathers better... or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Environment","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Stack of turf in Edenmore Bog with Cairn Hill in background in North Longford","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Stack-of-turf-in-Edenmore-Bog-with-Cairn-Hill-in-background-in-North-Longford.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":276,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/walking-as-one-with-the-woods\/","url_meta":{"origin":4187,"position":3},"title":"Walking As One With the Woods","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"4th April 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"From the branches, voices whisper Singing soft low songs, in the breeze The more we listen,\u00a0 less we hear From the low chorus of the trees When we don't listen, more we hear Music echoes through the leaves The chorus of the Tree Spirits Hiding in shadows like thieves. Ghosts\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature"","block_context":{"text":"Nature","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/nature-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Edenmore \r\n\r\nWood_Ballinamuck_Longford_Ireland","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Edenmore-____Wood_Ballinamuck_Longford_Ireland-232x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1733,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/walking-under-edenmore-hill\/","url_meta":{"origin":4187,"position":4},"title":"Walking Under Edenmore Hill","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"2nd March 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Random scattered shades of brown, Rarer yellows, more common black hues, What\u00c2\u00a0 was once a trickle a torrent is now, Rain falls as always as my shoes Walk yet again where often before I've walked, its as if I know each bush Each bird that sings from trees as I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "North Longford"","block_context":{"text":"North Longford","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/north-longford\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Walking Under Edenmore Hill","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Walking-Under-Edenmore-Hill.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Walking-Under-Edenmore-Hill.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Walking-Under-Edenmore-Hill.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Walking-Under-Edenmore-Hill.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Walking-Under-Edenmore-Hill.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1988,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/walking-edenmore-bog\/","url_meta":{"origin":4187,"position":5},"title":"Walking Edenmore Bog","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"29th June 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Across this moor in fear they fled As marched their comrades were in the roads below The lucky were their comrades dead Those still free sought refuge in the bogs they know Redcoats pursue, to the last man Given away by the whispered word Unknown, unseen and half forgotten Their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "1798 Rebellion"","block_context":{"text":"1798 Rebellion","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/irelands-wars\/1798-rebellion\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4187"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4187\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4190,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4187\/revisions\/4190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}