by Maeve Carey-Kozlark, Glucksman Ireland House, New York University

© Maeve Carey-Kozlark 2024. All rights reserved.

(continued from Liquor Dealers: Formal and Informal Economies)

Period newspapers and sheet music from the mid-late 19th century depict a vibrant culture surrounding poitín in Irishtown, and this reputation lasted well into the turn 20th century; an 1896 Tin Pan Alley Tune Pat Malone Forgot That He Was Dead depicts “tough times” in Irishtown and the titular Pat Malone’s subsequent scheme to fake his own death for insurance money, only to be foiled several times along the way by the prevalence of alcohol at his memorial services. Lyrics by Harry C. Clide:

View the lyrics and listen to a recording of Pat Malone below:

Lead vocals by Clare Martin; backing vocals, piano, and bass clarinet by Maeve Carey-Kozlark. Video by Eric Cameron.

Local politicians were heavily involved in many of the illegal operations, as saloons and pubs served as frequent venues for campaign events or gatherings otherwise political in nature. The lyrics to Murphy’s Little Back Room, an 1876 jig by E.H. Harding, depict the following:

Did you ever hear tell of Ted Murphy?
He came from the County Mayo.
He kept a bar-room in this city,
In a Democratic ward here below.
His distillery was over in Brooklyn,
In a place that they call Irishtown!
You’d get a bucket of ale for five cents,
He’d trust when you put money down.

Assuming “Ted” is short for Edward, and that the song is based on true events and not anonymized, there are two potential Edward Murphys that the lyrics may refer to: the first, a Mayo-born longshoreman of 220 Water St [1] with a slew of alcohol-fueled charges and escapades in and around Irishtown as documented in the Brooklyn Eagle (theft [2], laboring under post-bender delirium tremens [3], and witnessing a sword-stabbing [4], among others); and the second, an accomplished Alderman of the 14th and later 16th Wards in present-day Williamsburg, adjacent to the eastern end of the Brooklyn Navy Yard and just up the East River from Irishtown. [5]

Of course, the lyrical references to “Democratic ward here below” and “his distillery was over in Brooklyn” could indicate a different, Manhattan-based Ted Murphy altogether, although the historical record yields few potential matches of this description. Politicians, particularly those associated with political machines like Tammany, as the latter Edward Murphy was, relied heavily on the support of immigrant communities like Irishtown; providing protection for distilleries could secure loyalty, votes, and financial contributions. Additionally, Politicians with influence over law enforcement could use their power to selectively enforce laws against rivals while protecting allied distillers, solidifying their control over both legal and illicit economies.

[1] 1870 United States Federal Census, New York, Kings, Brooklyn Ward 02. Via National Archives and Records Administration, pg. 145, line 02. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/imageviewer/collections/7163/images/4274982_00317?treeid=&personid=&queryId=31946114-a980-475e-b785-df1e7d5ce48b&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Xwj452&_phstart=successSource&pId=28174204

[2] “Two Thieves: A Couple Cleared Out of the First Precinct; $200 Worth of Goods Recovered,” The Brooklyn Eagle, September 18, 1872. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50351329/?match=1&terms=edward%20murphy

[3] “City Hems and Gossip: Valentine and Orson,” The Brooklyn Eagle, November 2, 1861. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50418978/?match=1&terms=edward%20murphy

[4] “Bloodshed: Tragedy on Jay St. This Morning; Statement of a Friend,” The Brooklyn Eagle, October 23, 1874. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/60765913/?match=1&terms=edward%20murphy

[5] “Political: Fourteenth Ward; For Alderman, Edward Murphy,” The Brooklyn Eagle, October 21, 1864. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50420091/?match=1&terms=edward%20murphy