Francis Duggan Poems

Birds pipe their territorial melodies
On branches of the naked trees
And Winter's o'er and Summer's near
And pleasant youthful Spring is here.
...

All through his twenties to his mid thirties there were few as strong as he
Yet now that Ben is over fifty he's not the man he used to be
He could lay clay pipes all day long and drink 'til closing time
And few could match it with him when he was in his prime.
...

When I was a young fellow the Conways Tom and Joe
Played their acordions at dances and parties in Duhallow years ago
And Den Janie often played with them as the dancers took the floor
In Cullen and in Millstreet and Ballydaly and Rathmore.
...

I felt happy on that sunday
walking up the Chapel hill
And thinking of the coming monday
Made me feel more lonely still.
...

I watch his tears fall from the sky
Our evil sins cause him to cry
In a bright full moon I see his face
Watching o'er this Earthly place.
...

Mirko he comes from Slovenia no longer under Yugoslav control
And Mirko is an honest worker, an honest and hard working soul
He's seen more than forty Summers and his hair has turned to gray
But Mirko he looks a bit older, he looks older many a day.
...

Born and raised in Claraghatlea a mile from the town of Millstreet and admired and respected and widely known
And though he had lived for years in Bandon we used to claim him as one of our own
And as a primary school going boy in the fifties to this day I can recall
When Denny Owen the Politician was a Minister in Ireland's Dail.
...

Maud Baily know the tougher side of life
She was born poor and became a waster's wife
And like most of those that bear the poor soul's curse
As years advance her lot in life grow worse.
...

He was a champion athlete in his day
Duhallow's finest sprinter many say
And for years a priest in the U.S of A.
From Millstreet town a half a World away.
...

Young Stuart the plumber he is in his twenties
And he is quite good at the work he do
And at the weekends with his mates he party
And he doesn't seem to mind a beer or two.
...