Not far from old Kinvara, in the merry month of May,
When birds were singing cheerily, there came across my way,
As if from out the sky above an angel chanced to fall,
A little Irish cailín in an ould plaid shawl.
She tripped along right joyously, a basket on her arm;
And, O ! her face, and, O ! her grace, the soul of saint would
Charm;
Her brown hair rippled o'er her brow, but greatest charm of all
Was her modest blue eyes beaming 'neath her ould plaid shawl.
I courteously saluted her -" God save you, miss, says I;
"God save you. kindly, sir," said she, and shyly passed me by;
Off went my heart along with her, a captive in her thrall,
Imprisoned in the corner of the ould plaid shawl.
O! graceful the mantillas that the signorinas wear,
And tasteful are the bonnets of Parisian ladies fair,
But never cloak, or hood, or robe, in palace, bow'r, or hall
Clad half such witching beauty as that ould plaid shawl.
O! some men sigh for riches, and some men live for fame,
And some on history's pages hope to win a glorious name;
My aims are not ambitious, and my wishes are but small -
You might wrap them all together in an ould plaid shawl.
I'll seek her all through Galway, and I'll seek her all through Clare,
I'll search for tale or tidings of my traveller everywhere,
For peace of mind I'll never find until my own I call
That little Irish cailín in an her plaid shawl.
When birds were singing cheerily, there came across my way,
As if from out the sky above an angel chanced to fall,
A little Irish cailín in an ould plaid shawl.
She tripped along right joyously, a basket on her arm;
And, O ! her face, and, O ! her grace, the soul of saint would
Charm;
Her brown hair rippled o'er her brow, but greatest charm of all
Was her modest blue eyes beaming 'neath her ould plaid shawl.
I courteously saluted her -" God save you, miss, says I;
"God save you. kindly, sir," said she, and shyly passed me by;
Off went my heart along with her, a captive in her thrall,
Imprisoned in the corner of the ould plaid shawl.
O! graceful the mantillas that the signorinas wear,
And tasteful are the bonnets of Parisian ladies fair,
But never cloak, or hood, or robe, in palace, bow'r, or hall
Clad half such witching beauty as that ould plaid shawl.
O! some men sigh for riches, and some men live for fame,
And some on history's pages hope to win a glorious name;
My aims are not ambitious, and my wishes are but small -
You might wrap them all together in an ould plaid shawl.
I'll seek her all through Galway, and I'll seek her all through Clare,
I'll search for tale or tidings of my traveller everywhere,
For peace of mind I'll never find until my own I call
That little Irish cailín in an her plaid shawl.
O My boat can safely float in the teeth of wind and weather And outrace the faster hooker between ...
O who is this that softly lies At my heart s door with drowsy eyes While shadows o er the sunset skies Steal sile...
Tis far away I am today from scenes I roamed a boy And long ago the hour I know I first saw Illinois But time...
Here comes Dan The merry old man With fiddle in hand To rouse us all Girls and boys Have done with your no...
I m weary and sick of the sights of the town Though haughty its mansions and high its re...
