Holey ha'penny = a ha'penny with a hole in? Holy ha'penny = Peter's pence? the widow's mite?
In the absence of a lyric fitting the current tune, The Chorus Jig, explaining the title will remain a matter of conjecture. Oddly 'Poll Hapenny', an Irish set dance, seems sometimes to appear as Holy Ha'penny (I'll check tonight in Breathnach); - in that context, a personal name, Ha'penny seems (at least to Brethnach) to be an Anglicisation of MacAlpin. Take your pick... John -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
