THE POPE AND KING BILLY
by Fred Butler
There was a peddler went around here one time and he was selling pictures of the pope and King Billy. Being an enterprising young man he was making it on both sides of the coin so to speak.
The trick was to know which picture to bring out and show to the prospective customer. If you were in a catholic house you showed the picture of the pope, as you made the sign of the cross, but if you were in the home of an orangeman then out would come the picture of King William on his white horse at The Battle Of The Boyne. It was a good sideline but you had to have your wits about you.
He went into Michael O'Shaunessy's out the way here, but Michael said no, he didn't want to buy a picture. However, Michael felt sure he would be able to sell a picture of the pope at the next house up the road. The peddler was wished good luck and off he went up the road with the gleam of coin in his eye.
Michael O'Shaunessey enjoyed a chuckle as much as anyone and in those days you took your fun where you could find it. Anyway, the next house was old Bill Campbell's and when the lad pulled out the picture of the pope he got the run put to him pretty fast. The Campbell's were protestant and probably orange to boot.
Bloody but unbowed, the peddler went on to the next house but thought it would be wise to pull out a picture of King Billy when he got there. He thought he might be in orange country.
The next place he went to was Johnny Kingston's but they were staunch catholics. When Johnny found out the picture was of King Billy the lad was on the run again. That poor peddler never showed up in this area ever after. No wonder!