Saint Patrick Was a Gentleman
Saint Patrick Was a Gentleman
St. Patrick's Day Song
Saint Patrick was a gentleman, he came from decent people
In Dublin town he built a church and on it put a steeple
His father was a Gallagher, his mother was a Grady
His aunt was an O'Shaughnessy and his uncle was a Brady.
(Chorus)
Success to bold Saint Paddy's fist he was a saint so clever
He gave the snakes and toads a twist and banished them forever.
The Wicklow hills are very high and so's the hill of Howth, sir
But there's a hill much higher still, much higher than them both, sir
From the top of this high hill Saint Patrick preached a sermon
Drove the frogs into the bogs and banished all the vermin.
There's not a mile in Eireann's isle where dirty vermin muster
But there he put his dear forefoot and murdered them in clusters
The frogs went plop, the toads went flop, slapdash into the water
The snakes committed suicide to save themselves from slaughter.
Nine hundred thousand reptiles blue he charmed with sweet discourses
And dined on them at Killaloe in soups and second courses
Blind worms crawling on the grass disgusted all the nation
Down to hell with a holy spell he changed the situation.
No wonder that them Irish lads should be so gay and frisky
Sure Saint Patrick taught them that as well as making whiskey
No wonder that the saint himself should understand distilling
His mother had a shebeen (1) shop in the town of Enniskillen.
O was I but so fortunate as to be back in Munster
I'd rebound unto that ground and nevermore should want, sir
There Saint Patrick planted corn, cabbages and praties (2)
He had pigs galore, ma gra, ma 'store (3), altar boys and ladies.
Notes
(1) A shebeen (Irish: síbín) is a bar or club where alcohol is sold illicitly.
(2) A pratie is a potato
(3) According to a comment on this site: "'Ma gra, ma store' is actually 'a gradh mo stor'... I've copied this song from an old book from 1895... Anyway, 'a gradh mo stor'... is 'My love, my treasure,' according to one page I found online."
Comments
Written by Henry Bennett & Mr. Tolekin (circa 1814).
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