The Ballad of Rip Coyleby JP McMenamin ‘Twas a sunny day in Derry
A dog chewed at a bone
Minding his own business
Outside his happy home. Rip Coyle, was the small dog’s name
He was loyal, staunch and true
He wagged his little stumpy tail
As he gave the bone a chew. A cuttie, skipped along the street
With a cruel look in her eye
This cuttie, never told the truth
She would rather tell a lie. She knelt down by the little dog
And tried to steal his bone
Rip Coyle, gave a little growl
“Leave my bone alone.” The cuttie’s eye was mean and sly
She did not like the hound
So the cuttie, then devised a plan
To get the dog put down. She made a grab at Rip Coyle’s bone
Then pulled her hand away
Rip Coyle, gave a little snap
Not in anger, more in play. The cuttie, gave an awful howl
And ran home to her mum
“Rip Coyle bit me” screamed the girl
Holding up an unmarked thumb. Her mother, jumped up in alarm
And headed down the street
Like Godzilla in a floral dress
Carpet slippers on her feet. “I’ll have the law on you” she roared
“That dog bit my wee girl”
Mrs Coyle made no reply
Her head was in a whirl. Behind the door, a small boy stood
Corduroy knickers to his knee
In time he would be Mr Coyle
But now, he was quite wee. “What shall I do?” said little Sean
“If they take wee Rip away?”
“Who will run and fetch the ball?
When I go out to play.” The small boy stood on spindly legs
Rickets is a bad disease
He had an infection in his eye
And cuts upon his knees. A man came with a little van
To take wee Rip away
Wee Sean, fell down on his knees
To St Francis, he did pray. They tied a rope around Rip’s neck
And dragged him from his home
No more he’d join in children’s games
No more, wee Rip would roam. Wee Rip, dug in his little paws
But all to no avail
Wee Rip Coyle was arrested
And locked up in a jail. Rip’s case came up before the court
The cuttie, told her lies
The judge, put on his old black cap
There were tears in wee Sean’s eyes. “Rip Coyle” said the old, fat judge
“You are a guilty hound
May the Lord have mercy on your soul
When you’re buried in the ground.” Wee Rip, was lead down from the dock
His time on earth was gone
He sadly wagged his little tail
When he saw his friend – wee Sean. On a wet and windy morning
Poor wee Rip Coyle passed away
Another martyr for old Ireland
No more, will wee Rip play. A change came over wee Sean Coyle
He was not a happy lad
His brow was dark and furrowed
His eyes were dead and sad. “I wont be hurt again” said Sean
“I’ll never give my heart
It hurts too much to love a dog
And then to sadly-part. Another change came over Sean
A great respect for law and order
He bought his petrol in the town
He wouldn’t cross the border. He became a vigilante
The scourge of litter louts
“The laws the law” he’d always say
He never had no doubts. But sometimes, when he’s in his bed
He thinks of little Rip
Tears run down his noble face
A trembling of the lip. Wee Rip Coyle was innocent
And yet he had to die
Wee Sean, cries into his pillow
And softly whispers- “Why?”
Dog Gone. « back | 
