Pakie Coffey Poem by Francis Duggan

He moved to county Waterford one hundred miles down track
To work for Radley brothers they said he would be back
They said that in County Waterford he could not settle in
That he could never live too far away from kith and kin.

He worked for years in Millstreet and to Millstreet he belong
And that he could never leave the place but Pakie proved them wrong
And though he did return to Millstreet for the brief holiday
Down in the County Waterford he seemed happy to stay

I recall Pakie Coffey he was as good as gold
A warm hearted type of man and in him nothing cold
He had the gift of making friends one of the chosen few
And if you needed a favour done he'd be one to help you.

Where are the characters of old Millstreet some of them moved away
Whilst some of them by Cashman's hill down at the Tanyard lay
And Millstreet had her characters so many one could name
And each of them seemed different and no two seemed the same.

And I have heard that Pakie Coffey to the after life has gone
But he will be remembered and the memory will live on
Of a man larger than life itself and in him nothing cold
A warm hearted human being he was as good as gold.