I want to know as background info for the song “Waxies Dargle.” I’m finding conflicting cites. This Wiki article says “The shoe-makers and repairers in Dublin were known as waxies, because they used wax to waterproof and preserve the thread they used in stitching the shoes,” and cites a book on Irish slang as a reference. This Pogues page (scroll down a bit) says “A ‘waxie’ is slang for a candlemaker…,” which meaning seems less contrived; the other comments on the page suggest the writer knows his stuff. Each of these definitions is supported by plenty of other internet sites.
So perhaps our Irish doper brethren, or others knowledgeable in Irish slang, can tell me authoritatively – does “waxies,” in the time frame of the song (100+ years ago), refer to candlemakers, to cobblers, or to both (presumably depending on who’s speaking)?