In the Town of Carrick I was Born
And in most of Europe I have Been,
And through Colombia,her mountain slopes
Her splendid Cities and forests green,
But give me the home of my youthful days
When my heart was Innocent and pure,
When I used to roam down Sauces Quay
And along the banks of the river Suir.
verse 2
Sometimes in fancy I fly to Carrick,
And quench my thirst at clear Clareen-Well,
The pretty girls meet there at evening,
And to each other,their love-tales tell,
I can see each street,each nook and corner,
Friends and companions,all at a glance,
Then I soar right over the Sally Islands,
And Tinhallow,where we used to dance.
verse 3
I see Piltown,that bed of Roses,
Tibrachny Castle,of ancient fame,
The old mud house at the Three Bridges,
The groves and lawns of sweet Tinvane,
And Carrick Castle whereonce I thought
That Robin Goodfellow could be seen;
There happy small birds rear their young ones
'Mid rugged towers and ivy green.
verse 4
And fancy wanders o're the cottage
By the river side it stands sublime,
And Coolnamuck,the golden valley,
With it's dense wood of giagantic pine;
Oh! t'is sad,dear Carrick,that your grandeur,
Except in fancy I'll see no more;
But though an exile I'll sing your praises
Because I love you ma-veil-astore.
verse 5
O're the Castle Strand I fondly hover,
To see the lovers as in twos they stray,
Their Whispers sound like sacred music,
While in loves pleasure they wend their way,
Scenes may be grand in other places.
But with those of Carrick none dare to vie;
Oh! if Paradise is near so lovely,
I really think I would like to die.
verse 6
I love to hover o're Killonerry,
For there my happy childhood played.
And on the banks of the Linawn river
My youth in love's sweet fancies strayed,
Oh! sweet vale,thou art still dearer,For you hailed my father's birth,
And loved ones dwelt on you for ages,
And sat and mused around your hearth.
verse 7
'Mid all this grandeur a cloud I see,
Shrouding in gloom that beautiful place,
Oppression'sdark form stalks madly on,
Crushing the heart of the whole Irish race,
The scenes now change,so I'll close my muse,
On thy peerless charmes I'll cease to dwell,
As a foreign land is now my home,
Good by,dear Carrick,Farewell,Farewell !
Author Michael Mc Namara,,Written & Composed,
in Fort Worth,Texas,,,Probably 1st Quater 20th Century,
A copy was given to me with authority to use
at any Creative Writing Classes in the 1990's,
but we only used once,,it was not a very good copy,
and the one the owner had was more or less the same,
The Owner of the work was Mr,Tom Dee,Killonerry,Carrick-on-Suir,
County Tipperary,Ireland,,now Sadly Deceased,Tom Died in the year 2000;
I now hold at least a Photocopy,that I have deciphered as best I could,,,,
and have Saved Here in Honour of Michael the Author and his -Grand-Nephew Tom Dee,,
Tom was very well known in Farming Circles as he farmed Land at Killonerry,the Birth-Place,
of Both these Gentlemen,,,,May They Rest in Peace,Amen!
PADDY DUGGAN.