Travels of Paudheen Rhu Number III
I scorn to take the railway, so I took my own way once again
And didn't care a thrawneen about Russian, Turk or Jew,
So now since I have broke the ice like captain Ross's enterprise
I'd like to tell you the latest travels of the raking Paudheen Rhu.
I took the road to Drogheda, saw the obelisk and crossed the Boyne
Picked mushrooms on King James Hill, left Louth to see Westmeath;
I went as far as Mullingar, saw where Brian Scally hung
Where mother Lord Lieutenant gained another laurel wreath.
Saw Dangan Castle in County Meath, the birthplace of Wellington they say
He cried "Up guards and at 'em" on the field of Waterloo
He scarcely ever showed his nose in Ireland since that day
Though he's lots of nose the world knows as well as Paudheen Rhu.
I meandered in to Wicklow and there commenced to suck the goats,
With the Byrne's Tooles and Cavanaghs I emptied many a dish,
In Rathdrum and Baltinglass, with the little limbs and purty girls
The grieshaugh and dudheen I was nicely in my kish.
But how can I speak about the West, such misery as I saw there,
Would melt the hearts of all except the Commons and the Lords
To see a part of Erin's bosom that once was beautiful and fair
A scene of famine - slaughter worse than Cromwell's bloody wars.
To spear a child for pleasure when tired of spearing all the men
Is instant death and stops all pain, from pleasing such a crew;
But to see them die by inches and to let the dogs feed on them
Would any other country stand it? asks the raking Paudheen Rhu.
The devil shoot the sweeter sport you ever saw since you were born
Than I saw in County Clare, a-cleating for the tax
The bailiffs here, the landlords there the boys off everywhere with chru
By gor I threw aside my workshop to go thrash and carry sacks.