G7     C           F           G          C
Now, Delaney had a donkey that everyone admired
            F        C           G7
Temporarily lazy and permanently tired
  C            F      G             C
A leg at every corner balancing his head
      Am              F                 G7           C
And a tail to let you know which end he wanted to be fed.
Am           E               Am
Riley, slyly said "we've underrated it
Am                 E                Am
Why not train it?" then they took a rag
     C          F                 G               C
They rubbed it, scrubbed it, they oiled and embrocated it
Am            F                 C                   G7
Got it at the post and when the starter dropped the flag:
          C     F           C           F
There was Riley pushing it, shoving it, shushing it
C      F         C           G7
Hogan, Logan and everyone in town
C         F              G              C
Lined up attacking it, n'shoving it and smacking it
     Am              F                 G         G7
They might as well a'tried to push the Town Hall down.
    C          F            G         C
The donkey was eyeing them, openly defying them
         F            C               G7
Winking, blinking and twisting out of place,
C       C7          F
Riley reversing it, everybody cursing it
    C             F              G7        C
The day Delaney's donkey ran the half mile race.
    C              F      G              C
The muscles of the mighty never known to flinch
                       F        C             G7
They couldn't move the donkey a quarter of an inch
  C           F       G                  C
Delaney lay exhausted hanging 'round his throat
       Am               F             G7         C
With a grip just like a Scotsman on a five pound note.
Am                 E                 Am
Starter Carter, he lined it with the rest of 'em
Am               E              Am
When it saw them it was willing then
   C         F          G             C
It raced up, braced up, ready for the best of 'em
     Am                             C                  G7
They started off to cheer it but it changed it's mind again!
              C     F           C           F
And there was Riley pushing it, shoving it, shushing it
C      F         C          G7
Hogan, Logan and Mary-Ann McGrath
C           F             G               C
She started poking it and grabbing it and choking it
   Am                F             G           G7
It kicked her in the bustle and it laughed hee-haw!
    C            F               G         C
The Whigs and Conservatives, the Radical Superlatives
             F           C              G7
Liberals and Tories they hurried to the place
C              C7     F
Stood there in unity, helping the community
    C             F              G7        C
The day Delaney's donkey ran the half mile race.
    C              F            G            C
The crowd began to cheer it and Rafferty the judge
               F             C                 G7
He came up to assist 'em but still it wouldn't budge
        C              F          G             C
And the jockey who was riding it, little John McGee
       Am            F              G7               C
Was so thoroughly disgusted that he went and had his tea!
Am                E              Am
Hagan, Fagan were students of psychology
Am                     E             Am
Swore they'd shift him with some dynamite
     C          F           G            C
They bought it, brought it, and without apology
    Am                                C              G7
The donkey gave a sneeze and blew the whole lot outa sight.
              C     F           C           F
And there was Riley pushing it, shoving it, shushing it
C      F         C             G7
Hogan, Logan and all the bally crew
C             F           G          C
Police and Auxiliary, the Garrison Artillery
    Am         F                 G           G7
The Second Enniskillen's and the Life Guards too.
     C           F                G                C
They seized it n'harried it, they picked it up and carried it
            F          C              G7
Cheered it, steered it to the winning place.
         C           C7                   F
Then the bookmaker's drew aside, and they all committed suicide
    C             F              G    G7   C
The day Delaney's donkey won the half mile race!