Back To Donegal

It seems like only yesterday



I sailed from out of cork



A wanderer from Erin's isle



I landed in New York



There wasn't a soul to greet me there



A stranger on your shore



But Irish luck was with me here



And riches came galore



And now that I'm going back again



To dear old Erin's isle



My friends will meet me on the pier



And greet me with a smile



Their faces, sure, I've almost forgot



I've been so long away



But me mother will introduce them all



And this to me will say



Shake hands with your uncle mike, me boy



And here is your sister, Kate



And there's the girl you used to swing



Down by the garden gate



Shake hands with all of the neighbors



And kiss the Colleens all



You're as welcome as the flowers in may



To dear old Donegal



They'll give a party when I go home



They'll come from near and far



They'll line the roads for miles and miles



With Irish jauntin' cars



The spirits will flow and we'll be gay



We'll fill your hearts with joy



The piper will play an Irish reel



To greet the Yankee boy



We'll dance and sing the whole night long



Such fun as never seen



The lads will be decked in corduroy



The Colleens wearin' green



There'll be thousands there that I never saw



I've been so long away



But me mother will introduce them all



And this to me will say



Shake hands with your uncle mike, me boy



And here is your sister, Kate



And there's the girl you used to swing



Down by the garden gate



Shake hands with all of the neighbors



And kiss the Colleens all



You're as welcome as the flowers in may



To dear old Donegal



Meet Branigan, Fannigan, Milligan, Gilligan



Duffy, McCuffy, Malachy, Mahone



Rafferty, Lafferty, Donnelly, Connelly



Dooley, O'Hooley, Muldowney, Malone



Madigan, Cadigan, Lanihan, Flanihan



Fagan, O'Hagan, O'Hoolihan, Flynn



Shanihan, Manihan, Fogarty, Hogarty



Kelly, O'Kelly, McGuinness, McGuinn