On Talking To Jerry Moynihan On The Phone Poem by Francis Duggan

I met this Father Sweeney his ancestors from Millstreet
And he said I know a person you might like to meet
His name is Jerry Moynihan a Millstreet man like you
Though he's been in Australia since nineteen fifty two.

I had been told of Jerry though him I had not known
And the priest gave me his number to contact him by phone
I know his brother's Mick and Larry from many years ago
And his younger sister Fanny is one I vaguely know.

I thought I'd contact Jerry duty is a compelling thing
And I felt it was my duty for to give the man a ring
And after all he came from Millstreet and his siblings there I knew
And to give the man a tinkle seemed the proper thing to do.

And on the phone I spoke with Jerry and he seemed such a nice man
And he talked about old Millstreet where it all for him began
And the people of his young years and the decades he did span,
John D Murphy from Claramore and Joe Price and Johnny Dan.

And he spoke of Mary O and Lizzie Hickey they are both alive and well
And of Finbarr who in his young years to the grim reaper fell
And Mary O's daughter Peggy and Maureen Falvey and Ted O
And he still has all of those memories from all of those years ago.

And he spoke of his beloved sister Betsy she is in eternal rest
And he still has good old memories and good memories are best
And Jerry Corkery and Connie Mahony and of course the great Noel C
When it comes to enterprise and business there is none so great as he

Jerry still has a Duhallow accent despite all of his years away
From the border Town of Millstreet it came with him and with him stay
His wife and children are Australian and to Australia he feels true
And he got that Aussie passport and became an Aussie too.

Father Sweeney gave the number here is one to phone or meet
He was once a fellow Townie Jerry Moynihan from Millstreet
And I rang as 'twas my duty if only to say hello
And he talked about old Millstreet and his friends from long ago.