Skibbereen Lyrics

Oh, father dear
Well I've often heard
You speak of Aeryn's Isle
Her lofty seams
Her valleys green
Her mountains rude and wide
They say it is a lovely land
Wherein a prince might dwell
Oh why did you abandon it
Reason do we tell

Oh, son I loved my native land
With energy and pride
Till the blight came over all my crops
My sheep my cattle died
My rent and taxes were too high
I could not then redeem
And that's the crule reason
That I left old Skibbereen
Oh and well do I remember son
That late December day
When the sheriff and the landlord came
To drive us all away
They set my cottage roof on fire
With cursed English flame
And that's another reason
That I left old Skibbereen
Oh your mother too, God rest her soul
Lay on the snowy ground
She'd fainted in her anguish
Saw the desolation 'round
She never rose but passed away
From life to mortal dreams
And found a quiet grave my boy
In dear old Skibbereen
Oh father dear, well the day might come
When an answer to the call
Each Irish man worth feelin strong
Will rally one and all
And I'll be the man to lay the ____?
Beneath a flag of green
And loud and high, will you hear the cry
Revenge for Skibbereen