THE BATH IN THE KITCHEN (Paul O’Brien)

My impression of what could have transpired when a “Corpo-man” tried to convince a house-wife to give up her tenement flat for a Corporation house in the newly built parts of East Wall, at a time that inside toilets were considered dirty and gardens were unheard of in the city centre. The baths really were located in the small kitchens and I remember that even in my youth they were usually used to store coal in.

Oh! Biddy, come over the rumours ‘round town

They’re going to be knockin our tenement down

The man from the corpo said “listen to me

We’re going to build you a house by the sea”

THEY’VE gardens with railings and Lord bless my soul

There’s bath in the kitchen for keeping YOUR coal!

There’s bath in the kitchen for keeping YOUR coal!

He showed me a drawing of what they had planned

Houses and shops and beaches with sand

Tram lines and parks and Oh! By the way

Plenty of places for childer to play

THEY’VE gardens…..

The toilets indoors and if that’s not enough

There’s a pot on landing for doing you stuff

There’s a humongus garden for growin’ the weeds

A grand place for culchies to be planting seeds

THEY’VE gardens…..

He said there are factories to work in as well

Sure it won’t take us long to get used to the smell

Candles and chocolate and plenty of wood

Sure he’d live there himself now, if only he could

THEY’VE gardens…..