Good Father John O‘Hart

    In penal¹ days rode out

    To a shoneen who had free lands

    And his own snipe and trout².

    In trust took he John‘s lands；

    Sleiveens were all his race；

    And he gave them as dowers to his daughters，

    And they married beyond their place.

    But Father John went up，

    And Father John went down；

    And he wore small holes in his shoes，

    And he wore large holes in his gown.

    All loved him， only the shoneen，

    Whom the devils have by the hair，

    From the wives， and the cats， and the children，

    To the birds in the white of the air.

    The birds， for he opened their cages

    As he went up and down；

    And he said with a smile， ‘Have peace now’；

    And he went his way with a frown.

    But if when anyone died

    Came keeners hoarser³ than rooks，

    He bade them give over their keening；

    For he was a man of books.

    And these were the works of John，

    When， weeping score by score，

    People came into Coloony；

    For he‘d died at ninety- four.

    There was no human keening；

    The birds from Knocknarea

    And the world round Knocknashee

    Came keening in that day.

    The young birds and old birds

    Came flying， heavy and sad；

    Keening in from Tiraragh，

    Keening from Ballinafad；

    Keening from Inishmurray，

    Nor stayed for bite or sup；

    This way were all reproved

    Who dig old customs up.

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