Back to Donegal

It seems like only yesterday
I sailed from out of cork
A wanderer from Erin's isle
I landed in New York

There wasn't a soul to greet me there
A stranger on your shore
But Irish luck was with me here
And riches came galore

And now that I'm going back again
To dear old Erin's isle
My friends will meet me on the pier
And greet me with a smile

Their faces, sure, I've almost forgot
I've been so long away
But me mother will introduce them all
And this to me will say

Shake hands with your uncle mike, me boy
And here is your sister, Kate
And there's the girl you used to swing
Down by the garden gate

Shake hands with all of the neighbors
And kiss the Colleens all
You're as welcome as the flowers in may
To dear old Donegal

They'll give a party when I go home
They'll come from near and far
They'll line the roads for miles and miles
With Irish jauntin' cars

The spirits will flow and we'll be gay
We'll fill your hearts with joy
The piper will play an Irish reel
To greet the Yankee boy

We'll dance and sing the whole night long
Such fun as never seen
The lads will be decked in corduroy
The Colleens wearin' green

There'll be thousands there that I never saw
I've been so long away
But me mother will introduce them all
And this to me will say

Shake hands with your uncle mike, me boy
And here is your sister, Kate
And there's the girl you used to swing
Down by the garden gate

Shake hands with all of the neighbors
And kiss the Colleens all
You're as welcome as the flowers in may
To dear old Donegal

Meet Branigan, Fannigan, Milligan, Gilligan
Duffy, McCuffy, Malachy, Mahone
Rafferty, Lafferty, Donnelly, Connelly
Dooley, O'Hooley, Muldowney, Malone

Madigan, Cadigan, Lanihan, Flanihan
Fagan, O'Hagan, O'Hoolihan, Flynn
Shanihan, Manihan, Fogarty, Hogarty
Kelly, O'Kelly, McGuinness, McGuinn