You may talk of Clara Nolan's ball or anything you choose
But it wouldn't hold a snuffbox to the spree at Kelligrews
If you want your eyeballs straightened, just come out next week with me
And you'll have to wear your glasses at the Kelligrews soiree.
There was birch rine, tar wine, cherry wine and turpentine
Jowls and cavalances, ginger beer and tea
Pigs' feet, cat meat, dumplings boiled in a sheet
Dandelion and crackey's teeth at the Kelligrews soiree.
Oh, I borrowed Cluney's beaver as I squared my yards to sail
And a swallowtail from Hogan that was foxy on the tail
Billy Cuddahie's old workin' pants and Patsy Nolan's shoes
And an old white vest from Fogarty to sport at Kelligrews.
There was Dan Milley, Joe Lilly, Tan-tan and Mrs. Tilley
Dancing like a little filly, 'would raise your heart to see
Jim Brine, Din Ryan, Flipper Smith and Caroline
I tell you boys we had a time at the Kelligrews soiree.
Oh, when I arrived at Betsy Snook's that night at half-past eight
The place was blocked with carriages stood waiting at the gate
With Cluney's funnel on my pate, the first words Betsy said
"Here come's the local preacher with the pulpit on his head!"
There was Billy Mews, Dan Hughes, Wilson, Taft and Teddy Roos
While Bryant he sat in the blues and lookin' hard at me
Jim Fling, Tom King, Johnson, champion of the ring
And all the boxers I could bring at the Kelligrews soiree.
"The Saratoga Landers first," Miss Betsy kindly said
Sure I danced with Nancy Cronan and her Grannie on the Head
And Hogan danced with Betsy... Oh you should have seen his shoes
As he lashed old muskets from the rack that night at Kelligrews.
There was boiled guineas, cold guineas, bullocks' heads and pickaninnies
And everything to catch the pennies, you'd break your sides to see
Boiled duff, cold duff, apple jam was in a cuff
I tell you, boys, we had enough at the Kelligrews soiree.
Crooked Flavin struck the fiddler and a hand I then took in
You should see George Cluney's beaver, and it flattened to the rim
And Hogan's coat was like a vest... the tails were gone, you see
"Oh," says I, "the devil haul ye and your Kelligrews soiree.
There was birch rine, tar wine, cherry wine and turpentine
Jowls and cavalances, ginger beer and tea
Pigs' feet, cat meat, dumplings boiled in a sheet
Dandelion and crackey's teeth at the Kelligrews soiree.
