THE BOYS OF KILKENNY
(SONGS AND BALLADS OF IRELAND - p44)

OH, the boys of Kilkenny are nate roving blades,
And whenever they meet with the nice little maids,
They kiss them and coax them and spend their money free!
Oh, of all the towns in Ireland, Kilkenny for me!

Through the town of Kilkenny there runs a clear stream,
In the Town of Kilkenny there lives a fair dame,
Her cheeks are like roses, and her lips much the same,
Or a dish of ripe strawberries smothered in cream.

Her eyes are as black as Kilkenny's famed coal,
And 'tis they through my poor heart have burned a big hole;
Her mind, like its river, is deep, clear and pure,
And her heart is more hard than its marble, I'm sure.

Oh, Kilkenny's a fine town, that shines where it stands,
And the more I think on it the more my heart warms:
If I was in Kilkenny I'd feel quite at home,
For it's there I'd get sweethearts, but here I got none.