"IT'S A LONG WAY TO TIPPERARY"

- the story of the famous song.

Jack Judge 1872 - 1938

He seized upon that phrase as a song-title, and then added the word "Tipperary" to it. He thought about writing the song a litle before going to bed, and then 'slept on' the idea. The next day, he arose, ate a fish breakfast; and then went to a public house (bar) called The New Market Inn, in Corporation Street, Stalybridge. This establishment was at that time kept and managed by a Mr. George Lloyd, and Jack Judge often went there. That morning, he wrote the song there in a very short time. His friend, Horace Vernon, wrote down the musical notation by listening to Jack Judge singing the song, and his participation in this historic event made him an hour and a half late for his lunch that day. Horace Vernon was theMusical Director or The Grand Theatre, Stalybridge (later called The Hippodrome). Another friend of Jacks was Harry Williams, who lived next door to his boyhood home. Harry and his brother kept a small country pub in Oldbury, called "The Malt Shovel". Jack Judge had a daytime stall in the local fish market, and was an entertained in the evenings. Harry often lent him money when trade was poor, and Jack promised in return that is he ever wrote a best-selling song, he would put Harry's name on it also. From the copy of the original song sheet shown below, we can see that he kept his promise. Both men made a small fortune fro the song's royalties.

Jack Judge won his bet by singing "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" for the first time, on the stage of The Grand Theatre during the evening's performance on 31 January 1912. It quickly became a favourite of his repertoire, and its catchy tune soon caught the imagination of the public. Mr.Bert Maden of Stalybridge offered to buy the copyright of the song from Jack Judge, but it was actually purchased by Music Publisher Bert Feldman of London. He then popularised the song on the Music-Hall circuit in Britain by having it sung by singer Florrie Forde, who was a very popular music-hall artiste of the time.

The song-sheet Number 549 published in 1912 by B. Feldman & Company, of 2 & 3 Arthur Street, New Oxford Street, London, W.C. (West Central) was sold for 6 d. (sixpence) a copy. It was reprinted several times in later years, and one cover bore the words " The Marching Anthem on the Battlefields of Europe, the Immortal "It's a Long Way to Tipperary", written and composed by Jack Judge and Harry Williams. Sung by The Soldiers of the King."

VERSE 1:

Up to mighty London came an Irishman one day,

As the streets are paved with gold, sure ev'ryone was gay;

Singing songs of Piccadilly, Strand and Leicester Square,

'Til Paddy got excited, then he shouted to them there:-

CHORUS:

It's a long way to Tipperary, it's a long way to go;

It's a long way to Tipperary, to the sweetest girl I know;

Good-bye Piccadilly, farewell Leicester Square,

It's a long, long way to Tipperary, but my heart's right there.

VERSE 2:

Paddy wrote a letter to his Irish Molly O',

Saying, "Should you not receive it, write and let me know!

If I make mistakes in spelling, Molly, dear," said he,

"Remember it's the pen that's bad, don't lay the blame on me."

CHORUS:

It's a long way to Tipperary, it's a long way to go;

It's a long way to Tipperary, to the sweetest girl I know;

Good-bye Piccadilly, farewell Leicester Square,

It's a long, long way to Tipperary, but my heart's right there.

VERSE 3:

Molly wrote a neat reply to Irish Paddy O',

Saying, "Mike Maloney wants to marry me, and so

Leave the Strand and Piccadilly, or you'll be to blame,

For love has fairly drove me silly, hoping you're the same."

The Connaught Rangers regiment of The British Army has strong connections to Tipperary Town. Their 2nd. Battalion (formerly the 94th. Infantry Regiment) were quartered in Tipperary Town Barracks from 1908 to 1910, and from 1914 to 1918 The Barracks were the Headquarters of the 16th. Irish Division. The 7th. Battalion of The Connaught Rangers were stationed at Poole in Dorsetshire, England in 1912, when Jack Judge wrote his famous song. It was taken up as a favourite during evening entertainments in their barracks, by soldiers who had been stationed in Tipperary Barracks and who remembered that town fondly. Indeed, many of them may have sung the words "My heart's right there!" with fond memories of Irish sweethearts from Tipperary.

For more details of the Connaught Rangers, go to the "REGIMENTS & CORPS" section of this Fame of Tipperary website via the Main Index Page or the Site Map using the green link buttons on this page.

On 13th. August 1914, the men of the B.E.F (also known as "The Old Contemptibles" because of their long service in India, South Africa and The Far East) marched in regimental array through the streets of Boulogne, en route to new accomodation in camps in the hills around the town, to make way in the dockland area for a new waver of troops arriving from England. The day was sunny and bright, and journalist George C. Curnock stood on the steps of the Hotel Metropole, Boulogne, together with citizens of the town, to watch the British troops march past. George Curnock of "The Daily Mail" Newspaper, was to become one of the leading War Correspondents of the 1914-1918 War.

The various regiments all had their favourite marching songs, some of which dated from The Boer War in South Africa, (such as "The Soldiers of the Queen" from QueenVictoria's reign),and some of which were more contemporary music halls songs (such as "Goodbye, Dolly, I must leave you."). The Connaught Rangers sang a song which George Curnock had never heard before,and in addition to its rousing tune and the pathos of its words, undoubtedly what fixed the song in his memory was the words of a French widow who had stood silent beside him fromthe beginning of the parade. She wore mourning black in memory of her husband, who had gone to Belgium with the local 8th. Boulonnais Regiment and been killed in the heavy fighting there, leaving their three children fatherless. As the 2nd. Battalion of The Connaught Rangers marched past The Metropole Hotel singing "It's a long way to Tipperary", the widow turned to George Curnock and asked him what they were singing. He explained that it was a "popular air" of the English Music-Halls. She asked him to translate the words for her, and the plaintive words "It's a long way to go" caused her to reply emotionally, "Ah! The poor boys! ...'A long, long way' ... they do not know how long is the way they are going .... how long - how long!". No doubt the poignancy of the words caused her to think of her late husband's journey to the out-of-reach realms of death, and the fact that many of these brave young men would undoubtedly soon join him there, far away and out of reach of their loved ones.

In his despatch to the Editor of The Daily Mail, George Curnock mentioned by name only the song sung by "The Connaughts". A security black-out prevented any news of the British troop arrivals in France being mentioned until after the main force had landed and dispersed from Boulogne. From the article printed by The Daily Mail on 18th. August 1918 from George Curnock's notes and from its popularity with the Allied troops on the battlefields of France and Belgium, the fame of the song "It's a long way to Tipperary" spread throughout the world. Chinese workers from France brought to work behind the battle-lines sang it, as did German troops. After the Great War had ended, the song was taken home by Canadian, Australian, Indian, and New Zealand troops. Canadians even had a version of their own with their own words. After the war, when a memorial was erected at The Menin Gate on the Menin Road near The Messines Ridge - site of fierce fighting during the First Battle of Ypres in 1914, the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915, and the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917. The names of 54,000 war dead are inscribed on The Menin Gate Memorial, a large stone arch, at the Dedication Ceremony of which in 1927 the tune "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" was played.

In 1935, Jubilee Year in England, a film named "Royal Cavalcade" was made about the song "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" in which the part of Jack was played by his half-brother Mr. Edward Withey.

The ice-eroded granite range of The Galtee Mountains with Galtymore at 3018 feet are the highest inland mountains in Ireland, and overlook Tipperary across the scenic Glen of Aherlow and the wooded ridge of Sleivenamuck. Tipperary Town is well worth a visit, with a sports complex in town, unique streetscapes, shopfronts with moulded concrete and carved stone decorative motifs, and is a good base from which to explore the surrounding area with its facilities nearby for golf, horse-riding, mountain walks and places of scenic beauty and archaeological interest. Just outside the town, the Tipperary (Barrenstown) Racecourse has recently undergone refurbishment and holds regular horse-race meetings. There are excellent Bed & Breakfast establishments and country hotels in and around the town. For more details, contact The Tourist Office, James Street, Tipperary Town, County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland. Telephone that office from overseas using your country's International Code + 353-62-54157, or from Ireland just dial 062-54157

Bridge Street, Tipperary Town, unchanged from 1850 to 1996.

Come and visit, you'll find that in these days of modern transport .....

'It's (not such) a long way to Tipperary! ©'

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