Chords for Letters From Kilkelly - Robbie O'Connell & Finbar Clancy

Back about 12 or 13 years ago, [E] I came across the most unusual song.
It was a recently written song, but written about events in the latter half of the last century.
A man called Peter Jones, who lives outside Washington DC over in America,
came across a bunch of old letters that had been passed down in his family and had survived throughout the years.
And they were written to his great [F#]-great-grandfather by some of the family back here in Ireland.
And it chronicles the family through that very turbulent time at the end of the last century.
It gives you a real sense of the loss and the separation they felt, the ones who had emigrated.
Something like only one in ten that went out to America in those years ever made it back to [E] Ireland again.
[Em] The family in Ireland that sent over the letters lived in a place up in County Mayo called Kilkelly.
_ _ _ _ [G] _ _
[Em] Kilkelly, Ireland, [G] 18 and 60, my [D] dear and loving son John.
[G] [Em] Your good friend, the [G] schoolmaster, Pat McNamara, [D] so good as to write these [Em] words down.
[G] Your brothers have all gone to [D] find work in [Em] England, [C] the house is so [D] empty inside.
[Em] A crop of potatoes [G] is sorely infected, [D] a third to a half of [Em] them black.
[G] And your sister Bridget [D] and Patrick O'Donnell, [C] going to be married in June.
[Bm] _ [Em] Mother says [G] not to work on the railroad, [D] be sure to come [Em] on home soon. _ _ _ _
_ _ Kilkelly, [G] Ireland, 18 and 70, [D] my dear and [A] loving son John.
[F#] _ [Em] Hello to your [G] missus and to your four [D] children, may they grow [Em] healthy and strong.
_ [G] Michael has got [D] in a wee bit of trouble, [C] I suppose that he never [D] will learn.
[Bm] _ [Em] Because of the [G] dampness there's no turf to speak [D] of, and now we have nothing [Em] to burn.
[G] And Bridget is happy, [D] named a child for her, [C] although she's got six [D] of them.
You _ [Em] say you've found work, [G] but you don't say what kind, [D] or when you will be [Em] coming home.
_ _ _ _ [D] _ _
_ [Em] _ _ _ [C] _ _
[Bm] _ _ [B] _ _ [D] _ _
_ [Em] _ _ [D] _ _ _
[Em] _ _ Kilkelly, [G] Ireland, 18 and 80, dear [D] Michael and John, [Em] my sons.
I'm sorry to give [G] you the very sad news [D] that your dear old mother [Em] has gone.
[G] We buried her down [D] at the church in Kilkelly.
[C] Your brothers and Bridget [D] were there, _ [Em] don't have to worry, [G] she died very quickly.
[D] Remember her in [Em] your prayers.
[G] And it's so good to hear [D] that Michael's returning, [C] with money he's sure to buy [D] land.
[Bm] _
[Em] For the crop has been poor, and [G] the people are selling [D] at any price that [Em] they can. _
_ _ _ _ [D] _ _
_ [Em] _ _ _ [C] _ _
_ [Em] _ _ _ [D] _ _
_ [Em] _ _ _ [C] _ _
[Em] _ _ Kilkelly, [G] Ireland, 18 and 90, [D] my dear and loving [Em] son John.
I suppose that I [G] must be close on 80, [D] it's 30 years [Em] since you've gone.
_ [G] Because of all [D] of the money you sent me, [C] I'm still living out of [D] my own.
_ [Em] Michael has built [G] himself a fine house, [D] and Bridget's daughters [Em] are grown.
And [G] thank you for sending [D] your family picture, [C] their loving young women [D] and men.
[Bm] _
[Em] You say that you may [G] even come for a visit, [D] what joy to see [Em] you again.
_ _ _ _ [G] _ _
[Em] Kilkelly, [G] Ireland, 18 and [D] 92, my dear brother John.
[G] I'm [Em] sorry I didn't write sooner to tell you [D] that father had [Em] passed on.
[G] He was living with Bridget, she says he was cheerful, and [C] healthy right down to the end.
[Bm] You [Em] should have seen [G] him play with the grandchildren [D] of Pat McNamara, your friend.
And [G] we buried him alongside [G] of mother [C] down at the Kilkelly churchyard.
[B] [Em] He was a strong [G] and a feisty old man, [D] considering his life was so [Em] hard.
And [G] it's funny the way he [D] kept talking about you, [C] he called for you [D] at the end.
[B] _
[Em] Oh why don't you think [G] about coming to visit, [D] we'd all love to [E] see you again.
_ _ _ [Em] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _