Lyr Req: The Four Francies

Subject: Lyr Req: The Four Francies
From: Fiolar
Date: 05 Jan 03 - 06:01 AM

Does any 'Catter by any chance have the words of the Percy French poem, "The Four Francies"? Thanks in advance.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE FOUR FARRELLEYS (Percy French)
From: ard mhacha
Date: 05 Jan 03 - 05:35 PM

Fiolar this is THE FOUR FARRELLEYS by Percy French, I have it alright but it does go on and on, and it is also very good.

Get in touch with me and I will send it on. I will give you the last verse,

WEST

Or were you the Francis Farrelly I met so long ago,
In the bog below Belmullet in the County of Mayo,
The long-legged, freckled Francis with the deep set wistful eyes,
That seemed to take their colour from those ever-changing skies,
That put his flute together as I sketched the distant scene,
And played me "Planxty Kelly" and "The Wakes of Inniskeen".
That told me in the autumn he'd be sailing to the west
To try and make his fortune and send money to the rest
And would I draw a picture of the place where he was born,
And he'd hang it up and look at it, and not feel so forlorn,
And when I had it finished, you got up from where you sat,
And you said "you're the devil, and I can't say more than that",
Oh! if your that Francis Farrelly, your fortune may be small,
But I'm thinking--thinking--Francis that I love you best of all,
And I never can forget you--though it's years and years ago--
In the bog below Belmullet in the County of Mayo.

Ard Mhacha

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Four Francies
From: Sorcha
Date: 05 Jan 03 - 05:58 PM

"Farrelleys" was all i found on a search, too.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE FOUR FARRELLYS
From: ard mhacha
Date: 06 Jan 03 - 12:56 PM

THE FOUR FARRELLYS

In a small hotel in London I was sitting down to dine,
When the Waiter brought the register and asked me if I'd sign,
And as I signed, I saw a name that set my heart astir-
A certain Francis Farrelly had signed the register.
I knew a lot of Farrellys and out of all the crew,
I kept on sort of wonderin' which Farrelly were you.
And when I finished dinner I sat back in my chair,
Going round my native land to find, which Farrelly you were.

South

Were you the keen-eyed Kerryman I met below Kenmare,
Who told me that when Ireland fought "the odds were never fair"?
If Cromwell had met Sarsfield, or Owen Roe O'Neill,
It's not to Misther Gladstone we'd be lookin' for repeal.
Would have Ireland for the Irish, not a Saxon to be seen,
And only Gaelic spoken in that house in College Green,
Told me Landlords wor the divil! their agents ten times worse,
And every sort of Government for Ireland was a curse!
Oh! if your that Francis Farrelly, your dreams have not come true,
Still, Slainthe! Slainthe! Fransheen! for I like a man like you.

North

Or were you the Francis Farrelly that often used to say
He'd like to blow them Papishes from Derry's walls away?
The boy who used to bother me that Orange Lodge to join,
And thought that history started with the battle of the Boyne-
I was not all with ye, Francis, the Pope is not my friend,
But still I hope, poor man, he'll die without that end-
And when yer quit from care yourself, and get to K

Subject: Lyr Add: THE FOUR FARRELLYS
From: ard mhacha
Date: 06 Jan 03 - 01:16 PM

And when yer quit from care yourself and get to Kingdom Come,
It's no use teaching you the Harp- you'll play the Orange Drum!
Och! man you wor a fighter, of that I had no doubt,
For I seen ye once in Belfast when the Antrim Road was out!
And many a time that evenin' I thought that you were dead,
The way them Papish pavin' stones was hoppin' of yer head.
Oh! if your that Francis Farrelly that came from North Tyrone-
Here's lookin' to ye Francis but leave the Pope alone!.

East

Or were you the Francis Farrelly that in my College days
For strolling on the Kingstown Pier had such a curious craze?
D'ye mind them lovely sisters- the blonde and the brunette?
I know I've not forgotten, and I don't think you forget!
That picnic at the Dargle- And the other at the Scalp-
How my heart was palpitatin'- hers wasn't- not a palp!
Someone said ye married money- and maybe ye were wise,
But the gold you loved was in her hair, and the diamonds in her eyes!
So I liked to think ye married her and that you're with her yet,
'Twas some 'meleesha' officer that married the brunette:
But the blonde one always loved ye, and I knew ye loved her too,
So me blessing on ye Francis and the blue sky over you!.

Sorry about the wee mishap don't know what happened there, any way Fiolar its all there warts and all. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Four Francies
From: Fiolar
Date: 07 Jan 03 - 08:52 AM

Ard Mhaca: Thanks a million for the words. You are a star.