Sure, Joe. The song is by Pete St. John and is not very old. I will get you the data. Sabine's lyrics have a few very small errors. I hope that I cause no offense in correcting them here. Mine come from St. John's sheet music, or at least the one that was marketed under his name.


THE RARE OULD TIMES
(Pete St. John)

Raised on songs and stories, heroes of renown.
The passing tales and glories, that once was Dublin town.
The hallowed halls and houses, the haunting children's rhymes.
That once was part of Dublin, in the rare old times.

CHORUS: Ring a ring a Rosie, as the light declines,
I remember Dublin city in the rare oul' times.

My name it is Sean Dempsey, as Dublin as can be
Born hard and late in Pimlico, in a house that ceased to be.
By trade I was a cooper, lost out to redundancy.
Like my house that fell to progress, my trade's a memory.

And I courted Peggy Dignan, as pretty as you please,
A rogue and child of Mary, from the rebel Liberties.
I lost her to a student chap, with skin as black as coal.
When he took her off to Birmingham, he took away my soul. CHORUS

The years have made me bitter, the gargle dims my brain,
'Cause Dublin keeps on changing, and nothing seems the same.
The Metropole and the Pillar have gone, the Royal long since pulled down,
As the great unyielding concrete, makes a city of my town.

Fare thee well sweet Anna Liffey, I can no longer stay,
And watch the new glass cages, that spring up along the Quay.
My heart's too full of memories, too old to hear new chimes,
I'm part of what was Dublin, in the rare ould times. CHORUS