Chords for Robbie O'Connell & Finbar Clancy - Kilkelly Ireland Song (1995)

_ _ Back about 12 or 13 years ago.
_ 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 have been passed down in his family and had survived throughout the years
And they were written by his rather to his great-great [F#] grandfather from 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
[E] 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 [F#m] it back to Ireland [Em] again
_ But the family in Ireland that sent [E] over the letters lived in a place up in County Mayo called Kilkelly
_ [Em] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
[Em] killed Kelly
[G] Ireland 18 at 60 [D] my dear and loving [Em] son John
[G] _ [Em] You're good friend the schoolmaster
[G] Pat _ McNamara
So [D] good asked to write these [Em] words _ _
[G] Your brothers have all gone [D] to find work in [Em] England [C] house
so empty [D] inside
[Bm] _ _ _ [Em] Prop of potatoes [G] _ sorely infected _
[D] her to
_ _ [Em] Man _
_ [G] _ your sister Bridget [D] and Patrick [Em] O'Donnell
_ [C] Going to be married [D] in June
[Bm] _ _ [Em] other
_ Says [G] not to work on the railroad
[D] Be sure to come on _ Soon _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ Kelly _
[G] Ireland 18 and 17 [D] my dear and loving [A] [Em] son John
[F#] _ _
[Em] Hello to your mrs.
[G] And to her four children
[D] May they grow healthy [Em] and strong
_ _ [G] _ Michael has got in [D] we bid to trouble [C] I suppose
He never [D] will learn _
[Bm] _ _ [Em] Because all the darkness [G] there's no turf to speak of
[D] Now [A] we have nothing [Em] to burn
_ _ [G]
And Bridget is happy _ [D] named a child for her
[C] motions got six _
[D] _ _ [Bm] _ _ [Em] Safe _ work, [G] but you don't say what kind
[D] When you will be common [Em] home _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[D] _ _ _ [Bm] _ _ [Em] _ _ _
[D] _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ [Bm] _ _
[B] _ _ _ [Em] _ _ _ [D] _ _
_ _ _ [Em] _ _ _ [D] _ _
[C] _ _ [E] _ _ [Em] _ _ _
Kelly
Ireland [G] 18 and 80 [D] dear Michael and John [Em] my son _
_ _ I'm sorry to give [G] you 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 were [D] there
_ [Bm] _ _ _ [Em] Don't have to [G] worry.
She died very quickly _ _
[D] Remember
_ And [Em] _ _ _
_ [G] it's so good to hear [D] that
Michael's [G] returning [C] with money.
He's sure to buy [D] land
_ [Bm] _ _ [Em] all the
poor _ _ [G] and the people _
Selling [D] at any price that [Em] they
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ _ [Bm] _ _ [Em] _
_ _ [D] _ _ _ [C] _ _ [Bm] _
_ _ [Em] _ _ _ _ _ _
[D] _ _ _ [Bm] _ _ [Em] _ _ _
[D] _ _ [C] _ _ [E] _ _ [Em] _ _
_ Killie Ireland [G] _ 18 and 19 [D] my dear and loving [Em] son John I
[G] _ _ [Em] Suppose that I must [G] be close on 80 _
[D] It's 30 years [Em] since you've gone _
_ _ [G] _ because of _
[D] The money said me [C] I'm still living out [D] my own
_ [B] _ _ _
[Em] Michael
_ _ [G] himself a fine [G] house [D] and
_ Bridget's daughters
[Em] _
And _ _ [G] _ thank you for sending [D] your family picture
[C]
love Young women
_ [D] _ _ [Bm] _
_ [Em] Say
_ _ _ [G] Come _ for visit [D] what joy to see you
[Em] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ [Em]
You Kelly
_ [G] Ireland 18 and [D] 92
_ My dear brother [Em] John
[G] _ _ [Em] I'm sorry.
I
[G] Didn't write sooner to tell you _
[D] _ But father
_ [Em] _ _
He [G] was living with Bridget [D] she says he was [G] cheerful
_ [C] Right _ down to [D] the end
_ [Bm] _ _ [Em] _
_ See [G] him play _ _
_ [D] Pat _ _ McNamara
[Em] _
_ _ _ [G] And we buried him
_ [D] Alongside of [G] mother [C] down
_ Kelly _ [D] _ churchyard
[B] _
_ [Em] He was a strong and [G] a feisty old man
[D] Cider in his life.
So
[Em] _ _ _ _ [G] And it's funny the way he kept [D] talking _ about you
[C] He called for you [D] at the end
[B] _ _ [Em] Why _ don't you think [G] about coming to visit
_ [D] He'd all love to [E] see
[Em] again
_ _ _ _ [E] _ _ _ [Em] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [G#] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _