Irish. [a. Ir. spailpín, f. spailp- of uncertain origin and meaning + -ín dim. suffix. The etym. given in quot. 1780 is fanciful.]
1. A common workman or laborer; a farm-worker or harvester.
1780. A. Young, Tour Irel., 57. Connaught labourers; they are called spalpeens: spal, in Irish, is a scythe, and peen a penny; that is, a mower for a penny a day. Ibid., 333. Spalpeens going from hence decline much.
1807. Sir R. Colt Hoare, Tour in Ireland, 319. I have heard these boys [i.e., peasant’s sons] called Spalpeens.
1818. Lady Morgan, Flor. Macarthy (1819), II. 3. Surrounded by petitioning, whining, wretched cotters, spalpeans, road makers, and labourers.
1837. Boston Advert., 17 Jan., 4/4. Peter Murphy, late spalpeen in Kerry.
2. Used contemptuously: A low or mean fellow; a scamp, a rascal.
1815. Mar. Edgeworth, Love & Law, I. iv. The spalpeen! turned into a buckeen, that would be a squireen,—but can’t.
1856. Lever, Martins of Cro’ M., xv. The dirty, mean spalpeens.
1857. Kingsley, Two Y. Ago, xix. I’ve brought away the poor spalpeen of a priest.
3. A youngster, a boy.
1891. B. Stoker, Snake’s Pass, v. I remimber it … a lot higher up the mountain whin I was a spalpeen.
1901. Jane Barlow, Land Shamrock, 206. If her brother Patrick was a couple of year or so oulder,… but he’s only a spalpeen yet.
