I've been singing the "sheeps eyes" line for 25+ years, and learnt it from my dad who sang it like that for 20 odd years before that. As far as pronunciation is concerned, I've always pronounced it "delutherin' lies"
As for its meaning, my interpretation was always that sheeps eyes is an alternative to doe eyes, and deludhering lies alluded to flattering talk, i.e. I'll try making eyes at her and flatter her with romantic nonsence.
Interestingly I've never heard this version done by anyone else, and have no idea where it originated. As with many folk songs, people change lines and add verses over the years. It's just down to which version you hear first.

[quote="James Murphy"]Does anyone bother listening to songs?[/quote]

Tend to find in this household that when someone sings along with the "wrong" word (knowingly or not), it then becomes the "right" word in all our subsequent singalongs. This can confuse visitors.

Does anyone bother listening to songs?

I have the lyrics but how do you phonically pronounce the word "deludhering"? Can anyone help me?

[u]Star of the County Down[/u]

Near Banbridge town, in the County Down
One morning in July
Down a bóithrín green came a sweet cailín
And she smiled as she passed me by.
Oh she looked so sweet from her two bare feet
To the sheen of her nut brown hair
Such a coaxing elf, sure I shook myself
To be sure I was really there.

Chorus:
And from Bantry Bay up to Derry Quay
And from Galway to Dublin town
No maid I've seen like the brown cailín
That I met in the County Down.

As she onward sped I shook my head
And I gazed with a feeling rare
And I said, says I, to a passerby
"Who's the maid with the nut-brown hair?"
He smiled at me, and with pride says he,
"That's the gem of Ireland's crown.
She's young Rosie McCann from the banks of the Bann
She's the star of the County Down."

Chorus

I've travelled a bit, but never was hit
Since my roving career began
But fair and square I surrendered there
To the charms of young Rose McCann.
I'd a heart to let and no tenant yet
Did I meet with in shawl or gown
But in she went and I asked no rent
From the star of the County Down.

Chorus

At the crossroads fair I'll be surely there
And I'll dress in my Sunday clothes
And I'll try sheep's eyes, and deludhering lies
On the heart of the nut-brown rose.
No pipe I'll smoke, no horse I'll yoke
Though with rust my plow turns brown
Till a smiling bride by my own fireside
Sits the star of the County Down.

Chorus

Thanks Zuzana. The page is now updated with your version.

It took me quite a while to find out what a boreen is.

[quote="DzM"]If anyone wants to take a stab at a faithful transcription of Andrew's version, I'll be happy to correct [i]Medusa's[/i] sad, sad errors.[/quote]
[b]Star Of the County Down[/b]

Near to Banbridge Town, in the County Down
One morning last July
Down a boreen green came a sweet colleen
And she smiled as she passed me by
She looked so sweet from her two bare feet
To the sheen of her nut-brown hair
Such a coaxing elf, sure I shook myself
For to see I was really there

From Bantry Bay up to Derry Quay
And from Galway to Dublin town
No maid I've seen like the brown colleen
That I met in the County Down

As she onward sped sure I scratched my head
And I looked with a feeling rare
And I says, says I, to a passer-by
"Who's the maid with the nut-brown hair?"
He smiled at me, and he says says he
"That's the gem of Ireland's crown
Young Rosie McCann from the banks of the Bann,
She's the Star of the County Down."

From Bantry Bay up to Derry Quay
And from Galway to Dublin town
No maid I've seen like the brown colleen
That I met in the County Down

At the harvest fair she'll be surely there
And I'll dress in my Sunday clothes
With my shoes shone bright and my hat cocked right
For a smile from my nut-brown rose
No pipe I'll smoke, no horse I'll yoke
Till my plough turns a rust coloured brown
Till a smiling bride by my own fireside
Sits the Star of the County Down

From Bantry Bay up to Derry Quay
And from Galway to Dublin town
No maid I've seen like the brown colleen
That I met in the County Down

one of those songs with lots of different versions i guess. i've heard loads of different "seven drunken nights " too. the earliest i heard i guess is from the us on the harry smith anthology.

[i]Medusa[/i] did indeed get her copy of these lyrics from The Internet sometime in 1996. Since they have been offered on [i]Medusa[/i] for nine-and-a-half years now this is obviously what Andrew is singing. Any evidence to the contrary is clearly fabricated.

But that aside - if anyone wants to take a stab at a faithful transcription of Andrew's version, I'll be happy to correct [i]Medusa's[/i] sad, sad errors.

Note also that the lyrics posted by TrashCity are almost word-for-word identical to the verse as transcribed in the Van Morrison & The Chieftains "Irish Heartbeat" release.

Deludherin' lies = blather, blarney.

From http://www.alliekat.net/slainte/slainte032504.phtml

"I haven't been able to find a meaning of the word "deludhering", but from the phrase "I'll try sheep's eyes, and deludhering lies on the heart of the nut-brown rose" I'm guessing that the man in the song means to "make eyes" at her (looking at her invitingly) and speaking charming words to her to pique her interest. Is there anyone out there that can tell me if that is what this really means? "

Yeah it's clearly not present in the rendition sung by Mr. Ranken. What may have happened is one website offered up the lyrics with the offending word and everyone else seems to have copy and pasted (including the Medusa?) into their own sites. I like it though.

Maybe I'll start incorporating it into my vocabulary:

"Quit your deludhering or I'll punch out your lights."
"Deludhering makes the heart grow fonder." Or something.

It's interesting that several websites including [i]Medusa[/i] [url=http://www.pogues.com/Releases/Lyrics/Singles/MiscSingles/CountyDown.html](here)[/url] offer the "deludhering version" of the song, labelling it as the Pogues' one. I've heard plenty of [i]Star Of the County Down [/i]versions by various bands but there were no "sheep's eyes and deludhering lies" in any of them. Anybody ever heard that version?

[quote="Nate"]What does this word mean?

It's from the last verse in "Star of the County Down"

...deludhering lies...?[/quote]

Wherever it comes from, it sounds like a Sean O'Casey construction.................deluded, deludered, deludhered, deludherin'

a band i used to play in played Star of the County Down all the time. and i'm pretty sure thre was no deludering going on there. i checked the pogues version and this is what i reckon the last verse consists of.

At the harvest fair
She'll be surely there
So I'll dress in my Sunday clothes.
With my shoes shone bright
And my hat cocked right
For a smile from my nut-brown Rose.
No horse I'll yoke,
No pipe I'll smoke
Till my plough is a rust coloured brown,
Till a smiling bride
By my own fire side
Sits the Star of the County Down


Hope its helpful.