Am F G Am
Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 60, my dear and loving son John
Am F G
Your good friend the schoolmaster Pat McNamara's so good
Am
As to write these words down.
C G
Your brothers have all gone to find work in England,
F Em
The house is so empty and sad
Am F
The crop of potatoes is sorely infected,
G Am
A third to a half of them bad.
C G
And your sister Brigid and Patrick O'Donnell
F Em
Are going to be married in June.
Am F
Your mother says not to work on the railroad
G Am
And be sure to come on home soon.
[Verse 2]
Am F G Am
Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 70, dear and loving son John
Am F G
Hello to your Mrs and to your 4 children,
Am
May they grow healthy and strong.
C G
Michael has got in a wee bit of trouble,
F Em
I guess that he never will learn.
Am F
Because of the dampness there's no turf to speak of
G Am
And now we have nothing to burn.
C G
And Brigid is happy, you named a child for her
F Em
And now she's got six of her own.
Am F
You say you found work, but you don't say
G Am
What kind or when you will be coming home.
[Verse 3]
Am F G Am
Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 80, dear Michael and John, my sons
Am F G
I'm sorry to give you the very sad news
Am
That your dear old mother has gone.
C G
We buried her down at the church in Kilkelly,
F Em
Your brothers and Brigid were there.
Am F
You don't have to worry, she died very quickly,
G Am
Remember her in your prayers.
C G
And it's so good to hear that Michael's returning,
F Em
With money he's sure to buy land
Am F
For the crop has been poor and the people
G Am
Are selling at any price that they can.
[Verse 4]
Am F G Am
Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 90, my dear and loving son John
Am F G
I guess that I must be close on to eighty,
Am
It's thirty years since you're gone.
C G
Because of all of the money you send me,
F Em
I'm still living out on my own.
Am F
Michael has built himself a fine house
G Am
And Brigid's daughters have grown.
C G
Thank you for sending your family picture,
F Em
They're lovely young women and men.
Am F
You say that you might even come for a visit,
G Am
What joy to see you again.
(this part sounds good with or without the guitar but it does
slow down and it becomes very slow at the end)
[Verse 5]
Am F G Am
Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 92, my dear brother John
Am F G
I'm sorry that I didn't write sooner
Am
to tell you that father passed on.
C G
He was living with Brigid, she says he was cheerful
F Em
And healthy right down to the end.
Am F
Ah, you should have seen him play with
G Am
The grandchildren of Pat McNamara, your friend.
C G
And we buried him alongside of mother,
F Em
Down at the Kilkelly churchyard.
Am F
He was a strong and a feisty old man,
G Am
Considering his life was so hard.
C G
And it's funny the way he kept talking about you,
F Em
He called for you in the end.
Am F
Oh, why don't you think about coming to visit,
G Am
We'd all love to see you again.
