In 1952, we visited Sarah Makem (Tommy's mother) in Keady, County Armagh and she made a wonderful ceilidh for us that evening. Here are her words to the song (that was later used as a theme song for and BBC series on folk music):

As I roved out on a May morning,
On a May morning right early
I met me love upon the way,
Oh Lord, but she was early

And she sang,
Lilt-a-doodle, lilt-a-doodle,
Lilt-a-doodle-day
And she hay-de-lon-de day,
And she hay-de-lon-de day
And she-lon-de.

Her boots was black and her stockings white,
And her buckles shone like silver
She had a dark and a rollin eye,
And her earrings tipped her shoulder.

And she sang, (etc.)

Sarah had no more verses- or I never heard her sing any more. Tommy often sings this song in his performances. Beautiful...   JR