Gartloney Rats

The boys from the village were festering sore

For a day on the rant with some music and more

They'd drink porter in Maura's way over in fore

And they never get drunk but stay sober

There was Harry the banjo and Dunne of the swan

With whose bone from the wing he'd beat the bodhran

And the song that he'd sing was of ganders and all

And they never get drunk but stay sober

There was woods on the guitar and auld squeeze box too

Who came from a time before aeroplanes flew

He'd sit in a corner and mule quite a few

And they never get drunk but stay sober

There was Mahon the singer who knew all the songs

And never was known to put a foot wrong

He'd sing through the night till the break o' the morn

And he'd never get drunk but stay sober

Then Harry the banjo now there was a man

A bottomless pit if ever there was one

More porter he'd lower that there was in the land

He'd never get drunk but stay sober

The Gartloney Rats they play away

They'd play for the pints and not for the pay

And the pints they'd go down in the usual way

And they'd never get drunk but stay sober