The Same Old Robbie Murphy Poem by Francis Duggan

The same old Robbie Murphy he hasn't changed at all
The Robbie I went to school with and with played under age football
The Duhallow accent he took with him to the U S of A
Still very much a part of him and remains with him today.

He lives in Long Island in New York thousands of miles away
From Shannaknuck and Millstreet and the old fields of Liscreagh
'Twas his cousin Breda's husband Brendan emailed with Robbie's phone number a kind and a thoughtful thing
On his behalf and I felt glad to give my old mate a ring.

We talked about our schoolgoing days in Millstreet our home-place
Before the years had brought gray to the hair and wrinkles to the face
Before the wanderlust took Robbie from Millstreet County Cork
In his quest for adventure to the City of New York.

The same old Robbie Murphy he has not changed one bit
He has not lost his sense of humor or he has not lost his wit
Some as they age grow crustier but Robbie is not that way
He may be close to sixty but the boy in the man stay.

The same old Robbie Murphy he has not changed at all
As the young Robbie Murphy who starred at Gaelic Football
Way back in the early sixties for Millstreet in the green and gold
And to me he seems no different though he too is getting old.