Object: Postcard, The Old Irish Jig
‘The Ould Irish Jig’
Postcard, published by William Lawrence, Dublin
This postcard was sent almost 65 years after the song, the Old Irish Jig, was written. The song is a famous folk rhyme, but did you know that it was written by the Bard of Lambeg, James Mckowen? The card features a verse from McKowen’s famous rhyme.
In November 2021 the museum launched a new exhibition. ‘The Bard of Lambeg, James McKowen (1814-89), Poet of Lisburn’ explores the life and work of local poet and historian James McKowen, and is launched in conjunction with a new book by the author and historian Gilbert Watson. The book, ‘History into Poetry, the Works of James McKowen’, is the first edited collection of McKowen’s poems, songs, and letters, and offers a fascinating insight into the work of one of Lisburn’s most important literary figures. The book is published by the Ulster-Scots Agency, and supported by Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, and can be purchased from Museum Reception for £10.
