OOPS 07 Kilkelly Ireland 
                         Peter and Steve Jones © 1984, 1988

Kilkelly, Ireland eighteen and sixty, 
My dear and loving son John:
Your good friend the schoolmaster Pat MacNamara 
So good as to write these words down
Your brothers have all gone to find work in England 
The house is so empty and sad
The crop of potatoes is sorely infected 
A third to a half of them bad
And your sister Bridget and Patrick O'Donnell 
Are going to get married in June
And your mother says not to work on the railroad 
And be sure to come on home soon.

Kilkelly, Ireland eighteen and seventy, 
My dear and loving son John:
Hello to your Mrs. and to your four children 
May they grow up healthy and strong 
Michael has got in a wee bit of trouble 
I suppose that he never will learn
Because of the dampness there's no turf to speak of 
And now there's nothing to burn
Bridget is happy you named the child for her, 
You know she's got six of her own
You say you've found work but you don't say what kind 
And when will you be coming home?

Kilkelly, Ireland eighteen and eighty 
Dear Michael and John my sons:
I'm sorry to give you the very sad news 
That your dear old mother passed on
We buried her down at the church at Kilkelly 
Your brothers and Bridget were there 
You don't have to worry she died very quickly 
Remember her in your prayers
And it's so good to hear that Michael's returning 
With money he's sure to buy land
But the crop has been poor and people are selling 
At any price that they can.

Kilkelly, Ireland eighteen and ninety 
My dear and loving son John:
I suppose that I must be close on to eighty 
It's thirty years since you've been gone
Because of all the money you sent me 
I'm still living out on my own
Michael has built himself a fine house 
And Bridget's daughters are grown.
And thank you for sending your family picture 
They're lovely young women and men
You say you might even come for a visit 
What joy to see you again

Kilkelly, Ireland eighteen and ninety-two 
My dear brother John:
I'm sorry that I didn't write sooner 
To tell you Father passed on
He was living with Bridget she said he was cheerful 
And healthy right up to the end
You should have seen him playing with the grandchildren
Of Pat MacNamara, your friend
We buried him along side of Mother 
Down at the Kilkelly church yard

He was a strong man, a feisty old man 
Considering his life was so hard
And it's funny the way he kept talking about you 
He called for you at the end.
Why don't you think about coming to visit 
We'd love to see you again..........