Patrick Macgill Of The Glenties Poem by Francis Duggan

He was a poet of the people he lived the poems he did write
As a boy he worked for farmers from the dawn till dark of night
In The Children of the Dead End one of his novels he told of the hardships he had known
Before he became a famous writer and into manhood had grown.

As a teenager in Scotland he worked as a navvy with older and work hardened men
He learned the lesson in the hard way that in life one does not always win
His first book of poems made him famous and he did not navvy ever more
And Patrick MaCgill from The Glenties became known far from Donegal's shore.

The eldest of a family of ten children he rose above poverty
He wrote about poor working people of their ways he knew intimately
There is a saying that remains relevant it goes a good one cannot be kept down
That he was raised in the hard way did not stop his march to renown.

His life story is a great story and he is one worthy of recall
He was a poor boy of The Glenties a Village in old Donegal
Many born to wealthy parents not as successful as he
Self taught and self educated writing to him came naturally.

Patrick MaCgill of The Glenties his writings live on today
As a boy he did a man's work nothing easy came his way
But his works today are still living and have stood the test of time
He penned some marvellous novels and he was a master of rhyme.