The Ghost Of Morty Cronin Poem by Francis Duggan

The moon on Inchaleigh shine ghostly white
And all is quiet at the hour of midnight
Save for the murmuring waters of Finnow
And young calf lowing to her mother cow.

Then the sound of mechanical hare goes round old greyhound track
And the ghost of Morty Cronin has come back
And though the listener know no track now there
He hear the sound of mechanical hare.

He stop awhile and listen for repeat
But all grow quiet in meadow near Millstreet
He thinks the wind has played tricks with his ear
And sound of river only sound he hear.

He blame the wind that sough in cypress tree
But then he tell himself this cannot be
For wind can't make sound like electric lure
And I've heard the track of that I now feel sure.

His thoughts returned to happy days gone by
When he was younger and a school going boy
And sunday for him happiest day of all
When on Hennessy's schooling track he'd pay a call.

The fastest dogs were trialed at Millstreet west
Pat Cashman's Tanyard's 'Champ' and 'Heather' Ireland's best
Paddy Casey's 'Rainbow' Sir Denis, Sherry wine,
Clocked under thirty seconds every time.

The 'Mountleaders' and Bill Singleton's Carriglea Prince
No greater hearted greyhounds than them since
And Hennessy's their local trialing ground
Where Morty Cronin drove the lure around.

Some of the best of Cork and Kerry dogs he see
And here Mick Daly trialed his speedsters from Tralee
And some great dogs had their first run towards renown
In schooling track just west of Millstreet Town.

The moon on Inchaleigh shine ghostly white
And all is quiet at the hour of midnight
Then the sound of mechanical hare goes round old greyhound track
And the ghost of Morty Cronin has come back.