Dear Old Donegal - Single Version

Three years ago this very day, I left the port of Cork
And on a ship from ol' Erin's isle, I landed in New York
Without a friend to meet me there and a stranger on the shore
But I wore an honest Irish hugging fortune came galore

So, here I am, back again on dear old Erin's isle
The friends they meet me on ché, and they greet me with a smile
For those faces that I surely forgot for I was a long away
But me mother, she introduces all, and this is what she say

Shake hands with your Uncle Mike, me boy
Shake hands with your sister, Kate
And this is the girl you used to swing down on 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 Donnegal

Well, they gave a party when I came back, and they came from near and far
And the road was lined for nearly a mile with Irish jauntin' cars
And the whiskey flowed like buttermilk to fill our hearts with joy
And the piper played an Irish reel to greet the Yankee boy

So tomorrow, off to church I'll go and wedded I will be
To my pretty, little colleen suited in magee
Forbid it was true and faithful to a barn or the sea
And will join the harp and shamrocks for the stars of liberty

That can be 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

Then shake the hand of your Uncle Mike and the hand of your sister, Kate
And I'll hug and I'll squeeze as much as I pleased the girl on the garden gate
And invite all the neighbors to the wedding grail and small
And I'll live content and pay no rent in dear old Donnegal