Frederick,

It sounds like you're asking about 'THE STAR OF THE COUNTY DOWN'. Here is the song as I know it (below).

The version I do is a combination of several I've heard. Verses three & four came from a different source than the rest (I can't remember where - Sorry...), but I don't think they're copyrighted. (No promises Dick!) It's commonly performed using only 1, 2 & 5 anyway.

As far as the chords go, I do it in E minor - You can transpose to whatever key works best for you. The chord progression I use is also included below. [The notation is that each chord name (Em, D, etc.) gets one beat and each slash following a chord name indicates a repeat of the preceding chord with a length of one beat also. The only exception to this is the 'C Am' near the end of each phrase. C and Am - in this case - get only 1/2 beat each.] Apologies in advance if this is confusing - ASCII has its limitations! (Post here if you have questions)

Enjoy! - Ian

----------------------
STAR OF THE COUNTY DOWN

Em/GD Em/D/ Em/GD Em CAm D/
G/D/ Em/D/ Em/GD Em CAm D/

Near Banbridge town in the County Down
One mornin' last July,
Down a boreen green came a sweet colleen
And she smiled as she passed me by.
She looked so sweet from her two bare feet
To the sheen of her nut-brown hair.
Such a coaxin' elf, sure I shook myself
For to see if I was really there.

CHORUS:
From Bantry Bay up to Derry Quay
And from Galway to Dublin town,
No maid I've seen like the rare* colleen
That I met in the County Down.

As she onward sped, sure I scratched my head
And I looked with a feelin' rare.
And I says, says I, to a passerby
"Who's the maid with the nut brown hair?"
He smiled at me and he says, says he,
"That's the gem of Ireland's crown,
Young Rosie McCann from the banks of the Bann.
She's the Star of the County Down." CHORUS

She'd a soft brown eye and a look so shy
And a smile like the rose in June.
And you hung on each note from her lily-white throat
As she lilted an Irish tune.
At the pattern dance, you were held in a trance
As she tripped through a reel or a jig.
And when her eyes she'd roll, she'd coax upon my soul
A spud from a hungry pig. CHORUS

I've traveled a bit, but never was hit
Since my roving career began.
But fair and square I surrendered there
To the charm of young Rosie McCann.
With a heart to let and no tenant yet
Did I meet within shawl or gown,
But in she went and I asked no rent
From the Star of the County Down. CHORUS

At the Harvest Faire she'll be surely there,
So I'll dress in my Sunday clothes.
With my shoes shone bright and my hat cocked right,
For a smile from my nut-brown rose.
No pipe I'll smoke; no horse I'll yoke
'Til my plow is a rust-colored brown,
'Til my smilin' bride by my own fireside
Sits the Star of the County Down. CHORUS

*sometimes 'brown colleen' - It depends on how I feel that day!

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 23-May-02.