The Fishers of Porthall

Photo   internet Carrigan’s page

Come all the gallant Clonleigh men
I pray you hear my tale,
‘Tis one will give you pleasure
Now I venture to go bail,
Since Foyle men gain the battle long fought out in
Dublin Town
There’s no more fear of poverty,
And wealth will now abound.

Here’s to the many helpers the cleric and the lay,
That by their prayers and money helped
To bring our happy day
Here’s to each silver salmon heaven sent to
Donegal,
Here’s to ourselves, God bless us all.
The Fishers of Porthall

Sure, we scan the daily papers
Looking out for bargains great,
And soon we’ll be the grandest folk
In our Republic State
We’ll buy the finest grandeur
Ever seen in Donegal
And Strabane ones will be jealous
Of the folks around Porthall

When you see us out at Murlog
You’ll be asking with surprise,
“Who are all these handsome gentry,
That I see before my eyes?
They’re Dohertys and Kellys and
Crawfords by the dozen,
Mc Gowan, Harkin, Carolan,
Mc Namees, and all their cousins.”

Our damsels fair are clad in furs from,
Ermine, mink and sable,
More glam’rous far than any star
That ever lured Clarke Gable.

Wise Mr Rolls and Mr Royce
Are working night and day
To turn out the motor car
For which we now can pay.

We’ve gramophones and wireless,
And I tell you, man alive,
They.’ve all got new wind chargers
In the classic block of five

The young men have accordions,
And some of them have spats.
The old ones have gold watches
And the grandest castor hats

And yet, we’ll maybe miss the thrills
We knew in days of yore,
When some of us went creeing
With a fut-net to the shore,
We’ll miss the fun and pleasure too,
Those fishermen made you feel,
With twenty pounders in your net
And the Bailiff at your heels

Here’s to the men who fought our fight –
Long may their names be praised
And gentle Jim O Donnell, too, who first our
Standard raised.

Here’s to the many helpers,
The clerics and the lay, who by
Their prayers and money helped
To bring our happy day
Here’s to each silver salmon Heaven
Sent to Donegal,
Here’s to ourselves, God bless us all,
Fishers of Porthall

This Ballad/poem was first published in the Derry Journal 1949
And in the first issue of Strabane Lifford Notes 1882
It was believed to be written by a Rev. W Bradley.
Its my pleasure to post it on my writers page