The Bold O'Donoghue (Ryan's Fancy)

#116: YouTube video by quickaccent2006 ©2008
~ Used with permission ~

Well now, here I am from Paddy's land, a land of high reknown,
I've broken all the hearts of girls for miles from Keady town;
And when they hear that I'm awa' they raise a hullabaloo,
When they hear about that handsome lad then they call on Donoghue.

For I'm the b'y to please her and I'm the b'y to tease her,
I'm the b'y to squeeze her and I'll tell you what I'll do:
I'll court her like an Irishman with me brogue and blarney too is me plan,
With me rollikin swollikin hollikin mollikin bold O'Donoghue.

Well I wish me love was a red, red rose on yon garden wall,
And me to be a dew drop and upon her brow I'd fall;
Perhaps then she might think of me as a rather heavy dew,
Well I'm certain she'd find the notion in the bold O'Donoghue.

Oh I'm the b'y to please her and I'm the b'y to tease her,
I'm the b'y to squeeze her and I'll tell you what I'll do:
I'll court her like an Irishman with me brogue and blarney too is me plan,
With me rollikin swollikin hollikin mollikin bold O'Donoghue.

Well I hear that Queen Victoria has a daughter fine and grand,
Perhaps she'd take it into her head to marry an Irishman;
If I could only get the chance to have a word or two,
Then I'm sure she'd put a notion in the bold O'Donoghue.

####.... Author unknown. Irish traditional ....####

Recorded by Ryan's Fancy (Times To Remember, trk#9, 1973, Audat Records, Oshawa, ON).

See more songs by Ryan's Fancy.

From Cantaria:
Notes — According to Tommy Makem, he learned this song from the singing of a man from Derrynoose in County Armagh called Johnny Vallely. It's probably an old music hall song.

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