Kilkelly

Kilkelly, Ireland, 1860
My dear and loving son John,
Your true friend the schoolmaster, Pat McNamara's
So good as to write these words down...

And so goes the song. John Whatever-his-name is went to America during the potato famine, and his father (dictated through Pat McNamara) sends him letters. While he's away, his parents die. Indeed, that is the last verse of the song.

Killkelly, Ireland, 1892
My dear brother John,
I'm sorry that I didn't write sooner
To tell you that father passed on.
He was living with Bridget, she said he was cheerful
And healthy, right down to the end
You should've seen him playing with the grandchildren
Of Pat McNamara your friend...

My dad says it's depressing, and in a way it is. But somehow, it's one of those songs that I can't "live without".

I like to notate songs down by ear and arrange them for piano. It's a hobby I have, but it is harmless, and it's also kind of funny to listen to. Kilkelly is one of them. Mum says one of my better ones.
Saro