Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Irish) a time-server, one who befriends whoever they happen to be with.

1906		W. Boyle Eloquent Dempsy (1911) Act I: You’re like Lanna Macree’s dog – a piece of the road with everybody.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 321: Gob he’s like Lanty MacHale’s goat that’d go a piece of the road with every one.
1944		Joyce Stephen Hero 112: ‘Put this in your diary,’ he said to transcriptive Maurice. ‘Protestant orthodoxy is like Lanty McHale’s dog: it goes a bit of the road with everyone.’.
1958		(con. 1940s) B. Behan Borstal Boy 175: Like Lanty McHale’s dog, I’d go a step of the road with anyone.
1961		(con. 1930s) D. Behan Teems of Times and Happy Returns 215: Not that I ever attempted to say anything about them, or keep away from them – like Larry McHale’s dog, I’d go a step of the road with anyone.
1965		(con. 1940s) B. Behan Confessions 48: Like Lanna Machree’s dog what harm is there in going a bit of the road with everyone?
1976		in Dáil Éireann 292 1 Sept. 🌐 Deputy Desmond spoke in divers tongues. Like Lanna Macree’s dog, he went a bit of the road with everybody.
2002		in Irish Indep. n.d. n.p.: The voters at large do not agree with him – they prefer the Fianna Fail style of going, like Alanna Macree’s dog, a little bit of the road with everybody.