Poem about a dance in Thompson’s barn

In the 18th of November in the year of ’82,
It happened to be on a Friday night as I will tell to you.
The ladies and the gentlemen I mean to let ye ken.
Came flocking up to Thompson’s barn from both sides of the glen.

The fiddler he got on the floor and their heads began to reel.
And soon the floor was occupied by a lad called Matthew Steele,
He stared all around the house, these words I heard him say,
‘O Davey, will you dance with me? Come on ye Matthew Rea.’

When these three boys got on the floor, sure they could we’ skill,
They nodded at Davy for to dance the girl from the Craigyhill,
The one that Matthew Rea did dance she was fair-haired indeed,
And Davy Easner closed the reel with Maryanne Benweed.

Young Willie he jumped on the floor, the truth I’ll tell to you,
He called on Andy Steele to dance, and his cousin Willie Hugh,
I think we’ll have a reel this time for this might change my luck,
And Davy Easner will take the floor with the dancing beau from Cruck.

McMullan demanded the two McNeill’s got up for the next reel,
Says McMullan, ‘I’ll try the Velvet’, and he looked at Andy Steele,
Says he, ‘If it does offend ye I’ll gie her wi’ richt guid will,
For if it does offend ye I’ll dance Caldwell frae the Craigyhill.’

Before the reel was ended they rose in such a crew,
McAllister the foremost in the gang that lives up in Loughdoo,
With the gabbling and the talking I thought my head would crack,
McQuillan he looked over and said, ‘That fiddle, stop!’.

And to conclude and finish I mean to drop my pen,
Here’s a health to Kilwaughter boys, and likewise Rory’s Glen,
We ‘II fill a cup, we ‘II drink a sup, and tarry none indeed,
Here’s a health to the Mullaghsandal boys and likewise the Glen Heid.

(Davy Easner, Matthew Rea, Andy Steele, Willie Hugh and Willie McAllister all lived in the nearby townland of Drumcrow).