The Oul Money

 

The Oul Money

There were two farthings in a halfpenny

That’s what there used to be

And two halfpennies made a penny

Back in nineteen sixty three

Three pennies made a threepenny bit

With two thrupenny bits you had a sixpence

I’ll have you all to know

So with two sixpences in a shilling

To the pictures you could go

And when you had a shilling

You thought that you were rich

But it was only half a florin

Back in nineteen sixty six

 

If you can’t remember all of this

Then please just write it down

 

With a florin and a sixpence

You then had half a crown

Four half-crowns made ten shilling note

You thought that it was great

That filled your car with petrol

Back in nineteen sixty eight

The ten shilling note it was pinky red

With two you had a pound

 

Will you mind all this when I’m finished

Have you got it all written down?

 

Five pounds you had a fiver

The same as it is today

A good week’s wages in sixty five

For working at the hay

The oul money is no longer used

My poem describes the job it done

The oul money it all ended

In nineteen seventy one

This poem was first published in, The language of Imagination, a collection of poetry 2014

By Paddy Montague Co Tyrone Ireland