Spacing is a bit messed up (so the chord changes don't quite line up)but you get the idea. I cried like a baby the first time I played this song. ..


Em                   G                 D                        Em
Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 60, my dear and loving son John

Em                   
Your good friend the schoolmaster

G                 D                                Em
Pat McNamara's so good as to write these words down.

G                                D
Your brothers have all gone to find work in England,

C                           D   B
the house is so empty and sad

Em                        G
The crop of potatoes is sorely infected,

D                         Em
a third to a half of them bad.

G                           D
And your sister Brigid and Patrick O'Donnell

    C                           D    B        
are going to be married in June.

Em                        G
Your mother says not to work on the railroad

D                            Em
and be sure to come on home soon.



Em                   G                 D                        Em
Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 70, my dear and loving son John

Em                        G
Hello to your Mrs and to your 4 children,

D                       Em
may they grow healthy and strong.

G                    D
Michael has got in a wee bit of trouble,

C                            D    B
I guess that he never will learn.

Em                                G
Because of the dampness there's no turf to speak of

    D                           Em
and now we have nothing to burn.

G                         D
And Brigid is happy, you named a child for her

C                                D   B
although she's got six of her own.

Em                                G
You say you found work, but you don't say

            D                                Em        
what kind or when you will be coming home.



Em                   G                 D                        Em
Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 80, dear Michael and John, my sons

Em                           G
I'm sorry to give you the very sad news

        D                        Em
that your dear old mother has gone.

G                         D
We buried her down at the church in Kilkelly,

C                                D    B
your brothers and Brigid were there.

Em                                G
You don't have to worry, she died very quickly,

D                        Em
remember her in your prayers.

G                                D
And it's so good to hear that Michael's returning,

        C                    D    B
with money he's sure to buy land


        Em                            G                
For the crop has been poor and the people

                D                    Em        
are selling at any price that they can.



Em                   G                 D                        Em
Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 90, my dear and loving son John

Em                         G
I guess that I must be close on to eighty,

        D                        Em
it's thirty years since you're gone.

G                        D        
Because of all of the money you send me,

C                           D    B
I'm still living out on my own.

Em                       G        
Michael has built for himself a fine house

        D                        Em
and Brigid's daughters have grown.

G                           D
Thank you for sending your family picture,

        C                        D    B
they're lovely young women and men.

Em                             G                
You say that you might even come for a visit,

D                        Em
what joy to see you again.


Em                   G                 D                Em
Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 92, my dear brother John

Em                   G                                D                Em                
I'm sorry I didn't write sooner to tell you that father passed on.

G                               D
He was living with Brigid, she says he was cheerful

C                                D   B
and healthy right down to the end.

Em                            G
Ah, you should have seen him play with

                        D                Em        
the grandchildren of Pat McNamara, your friend.

G                        D
And we buried him alongside of mother,

C                         D       B        
down at the Kilkelly churchyard.

Em                        G
He was a strong and a feisty old man,

D                            Em
considering his life was so hard.

G                                D
And it's funny the way he kept talking about you,

C                         D    B
he called for you in the end.


Em                                G
Oh, why don't you think about coming to visit,

D                           Em        
we'd all love to see you again.