HOW TO MAKE AN IRISH STEW
By
Cornelius Phroinsias O'Meachair

Sure I’ve sung ye many a song in my time,
But now ye want something new;
So I’m after giving a bit of a rhyme,
Concerning an Irish stew.

For I’ve got the original auld receipt,
For cooking to rights, that's the same;
And if ye can only get hold of the meat,
If ye spoil it, 'tis yerself that's to blame.

CHORUS: So let me give you this bit of advice-
Ye can very soon prove it's true-
That nothing in life is half so nice-
As a savoury Irish stew.

In choosing your meat, don't cut it too fat,
Nor by any means overly lean,
For the kind of mutton that pleases Pat
Is a sort of betwixt and between.

Your praities should be of the mealy sort,
And your onions sound and sweet,
And it's peel 'em & wash 'em, & slice 'em, yez ought,
And pop 'em right in with the meat.

Then pepper, & salt, and season to taste-
OCH! The water, I almost forgot-
Pour in just enough-if ye swamp it the least,
By jabers, ye'll spoil the lot.

Then yez can sit down and watch the pot boil,
Till the meat’s done thoroughly through;
And you'll soon be rewarded for all your toil,
By a savoury Irish stew.

Or if you wish, you can substitute fish,
That's entirely . . . . . up to you!