Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song (Kevin Conlon)

Subject: Lyr Add: THE SLIGO RAILWAY SONG (Kevin Conlon)
From: GUEST,weerover
Date: 15 Jul 04 - 01:24 AM

Found this marvellous song on an album of Sligo songs. It is essentially an updated version of Percy French's "Are Ye right There Michael?", whose tune it shares. There are references to a couple of other well-known Irish songs for anyone who's familiar with them. I couldn't quite get one place name in verse 6: if anyone recognises it I'd appreciate correction.

wr

THE SLIGO RAILWAY SONG

Sligo is a place of great renown
Where the people never greet you with a frown
But there's trouble on the railway line, the train it never runs on time
You'd be quicker on the back of Neddy Brown
The people were as happy as could be
In this little piece of heaven by the sea
Lakes and rivers, hills and dells, Yeats's grave, the Holy Well
And the lovely little Isle of Inisfree

So what's the reason for this awful pain?
Could it be the ozone layer or acid rain
The budget or the interest rates, the falling pound in dire straits
Or maybe it's the train that makes the strain
Now we're all off to Dublin in the green
We're going to meet the minister of steam
To tell him of our awful plight, the railway line's an awful sight
The likes of it, sure, you have never seen

Are you right there, Michael, are you right?
Do you think that we'll be home before the night?
It all depends on whether this old engine holds together
And it might, now, Michael, so it might

We walked into the station in the rain
We were going to make the journey on the train
We were heading off from Sligo town, the stationmaster waved us down
He said we might be running late again
I asked him why the train can't run on time
He said, "Now that decision isn't mine
You'd have to ask them in the Dail, the Labour boys and Fianna Fail
I think we might be home by closing time"

The train began to rattle and to hum
By now my feet were feeling rather numb
An old man he was lying back and singing "Smoke Along the Track"
He was drinking from a bottle filled with rum
So now we're off to Dublin in the green
And we're going to meet the minister of steam
The chances are that we'll be late, the railway line's an awful state
The likes of it, sure, you have never seen

Are you right there, Michael, are you right?
Do you think that we'll be home before the night?
It all depends on whether this old engine holds together
And it might, now, Michael, so it might

Collooney, Ballymote and on to Boyle
I thought the train was running out of oil
We slowed to twenty miles an hour, puffing smoke and losing power
Just wait until we tell them in the Dail
At the crossing gates outside of Mullingar
We saw Albert in his great big fancy car
He told us that he's doing his best to save the lifeline to the west
I think we might be wishing on a star

By now the train was just an hour late
As we passed by [Kinnegant?] and James's Gate
We said a prayer for the Sligo line that some day it might run on time
But I wonder just how long we'll have to wait
We'll be singing in the streets and in the bars
So throw away your key and lock your cars
To celebrate the new design of the Sligo-Dublin railway line
Though by then we might be living up on Mars

Are you right there, Michael, are you right?
Do you think we'll make it home before the night?
Sure, it all depends on whether this old engine holds together
And it might, now, Michael, so it might
Oh, it all depends on whether this old engine holds together
And it might, now, Michael, so it might

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song
From: MartinRyan
Date: 15 Jul 04 - 04:03 AM

Kinnegad.

Lurking in the back of my mind is acouplet that went:

They say that Naas is a terrible place - Kilcock is just as bad
But of all the places I've ever been, Bejaysus - Kinnegad!"

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song
From: GUEST,weerover
Date: 15 Jul 04 - 04:49 AM

Thanks for the correction, Martin.

wr.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Jul 04 - 07:53 AM

weerover- whose album of Sligo songs?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song
From: GUEST,weerover
Date: 15 Jul 04 - 08:41 AM

It's a collection called "Songs of Sligo" by various artists (Kevin Conlon, Colm O'Donnell et al.) that I picked up in Sligo town a few weeks back. Most of the others are fairly standard longing for home type songs (not that there's anything wrong with that). I could post them if anyone wants any more lyrics (though a couple of tracks have quite a lot, especially of place names, that I can't quite get).

I don't have the tape to hand (not at home at the moment) but some of the songs are:

Beautiful Sligo
The Lakes of Sligo (Fair Sligo Thee I Now Must Leave)
I'm Going Back to Sligo
My Lovely Lough Gill
Riverstown Vintage Day (this one I'll definitely post)
St. Patrick's Day in Sligo
Sligo I Miss You
Tubbercurry My Old Friend
Tullyhill
Believe Me Sligo
The Hill of Knocknashee
Ben Bulben of Sligo
My Old Sligo Home
Ballintogher Fair (can't get a lot on this one)

wr

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song
From: Big Tim
Date: 15 Jul 04 - 09:04 AM

Wr - I'm playing that album at the minute! Good stuff too. Kennegad, Westmeath, SE of Mullingar, from the Irish, "Ceann Átha gad" - "head of the ford of the withies", so the expert, Flanagan, says. [Note: bt has mastered the fada, next it'll be the blicky!]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song
From: MartinRyan
Date: 15 Jul 04 - 09:10 AM

Colm O'Donnell is a fine singer!

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song
From: GUEST,weerover
Date: 16 Jul 04 - 04:07 AM

Agreed Martin, a very fine voice

wr

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song
From: GUEST,Paddy
Date: 26 Oct 05 - 12:28 PM

hi

anyone know the lyrics to riverstown fair by seamus moore

cheers
paddy

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song
From: GUEST,paddy
Date: 05 Apr 10 - 10:25 AM

Is this song available on the internet anywhere?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song
From: GUEST,rusty
Date: 23 Aug 11 - 06:08 PM

Riverstown fair was written by Kevin Conlon from Sligo

also wrote Riverstown Fair mentioned above

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song
From: GUEST,Rusty
Date: 23 Aug 11 - 06:09 PM

heres his website :

www.rocknreel.biz

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 23 Aug 11 - 06:13 PM

The Sligo Railway Song above was also written by kevin Conlon

Also: The Ballad of Josie Mcdermott, Candle in The Window, and the Sligo Way for Seamus Moore who also called it I'm Going Back on his album