‘Sweet Mary of Kilmore’: Discrimination in Australian Folklore Scholarship
Abstract
The author traces the history of an originally Irish folk song ‘Sweet Mary of Kilmore’ that never made it into Australian folklore collections. He argues that the reason for this was a scholarly discrimination in favour of shearers’, bushranging and drovers’ songs which fitted into the ‘Australian Legend’ stereotype. The article contains the transcription of two Australian versions of the ballad, one orally transmitted, the other one found in Russel Ward’s manuscripts.
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Published 1 November 2008 in Volume 23 No. 4. Subjects: Ballads, Folklore.
Cite as: McKenry, Keith. ‘‘Sweet Mary of Kilmore’: Discrimination in Australian Folklore Scholarship.’ Australian Literary Studies, vol. 23, no. 4, 2008, doi: 10.20314/als.6d4a65b26c.