A SONG THAT was written as a result of a five shilling bet in a small English town a century ago continues to have a major impact on Tipperary Town.

One hundred years on, ‘It’s a long, long way to Tipperary’ is instantly recognisable but it has also associated its eponymous town with war…and now peace.

The music hall song was penned by English musician Jack Judge in January 1912 after he performed his ‘song overnight trick’ at the Grand Theatre in Stalybridge, just east of Manchester.

A few things happened in the next two years which ensured its place in musical lore.

Judge advertised his song for less than a year before a royalty agreement was signed by Bert Feldman on 18 September 1912. Florrie Forde, a music hall artiste, took the song on her tour and, according to Dr Terry Daniels of the Oldbury Local History Group, the tune was well received leading to an official recording in 1914.

Judge himself sang the song in Dublin where, crucially for its longevity, it was heard by a number of Irish Connaught Rangers. Those same soldiers made up part of a force that was caught singing the song by a Daily Mail reporter who included lines from it in his report that day.

It is believed the war correspondent described hearing songs from each company, battalion and regiment on that same day but singled out ‘Tipperary’ because he was not familiar with it.

After that publication, other army units began to sing it, while civilians went out to buy the sheet music. It was translated into dozens of languages and snippets were used on posters.

Its status as an unofficial anthem was sealed when the war ended in November 1918. A lone soldier reportedly made his way into the ruined town of Mons in Belgium, climbed to the top of the belfry as the song was played.

‘It’s a long, long way to Tipperary’ had become a war time tune, despite its origin as a fanciful bet and its subject matter – a young Irish man going to London but writing to his girl back home.

Judge, although only 44 when the age of conscription was raised to 46, avoided the trenches because of an exemption granted as it was deemed he would do more good by raising funds and spirit at home. However, he did not escape the tragedy of the Great War as his son John died in action.