A Wren Boy From Rathmore Poem by Francis Duggan

The fields around Sliabh Luachra with frost were hoary gray
On the morning after Christmas on festive St Stephen's Day
And the Wren-boys sang the 'Song of the wran' as they marched from door to door
To the music of accordions in the old Town of Rathmore.

The Wren boys had their face masks on and the boy with the money tin
Said 'thank you mam' to the housewife as she dropped a shilling in
And then on to the next house for to spread their gift of joy
In the heart of gray haired migrant there is still a laughing boy.

He himself was a Wren boy far away and long ago
When the fields with frost were hoary and the hills wore hats of snow
On the morning of St Stephen through the streets of old Rathmore
He was following in the footsteps of his father years before.

And now he tells his grandchildren before he became a man
In Rathmore in County Kerry he sang 'The song of the wran'
On the feast day of St Stephen frost or snow or hail or rain
Of his Childhood in Sliabh Luachra the good memories remain

It was cold on Stephen's morning it had been freezing overnight
And the fields around the old Town they were looking gray to white
And the Wren boys they were singing as they moved from door to door
And the music of their accordions brought great joy to old Rathmore.