Jaunting car

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Irish form of the sprung cart, called a jaunting car or jaunty car, was a light, horse-drawn, two-wheeled open vehicle with seats placed lengthwise, either face to face or back to back. It was a popular mode of transportation in 19th Century Dublin popularized by Valentine Vousden in a song by that name. Also called an outside car or sidecar, it was peculiar in that its seats ran longitudinally and the passengers' feet were placed on a footboard outboard of the wheels. Legend tells of the knights of Erin fighting battles in chariots arranged this way.

The colloquial name for the driver of a jaunting car was "jarvey", referenced in the song "The Jarvey Was A Leprechaun" by Val Doonican.