It seems like only yesterday
I sailed from out of Cork
A wanderer from Erin′s isle
I landed in New York
There wasn't a soul to greet me there
A stranger on your shore
But Irish luck was with me here
And riches came galore
And now that I′m going back again
To dear old Erin's isle
My friends will meet me on the pier
And greet me with a smile
Their faces, sure, I've almost forgot
I′ve been so long away
But me mother will introduce them all
And this to me will say

Shake hands with your Uncle Mike, Colleen
And here is your sister, Kate
And there′s the boy you used to swing
Down by the garden gate
Shake hands with all of the neighbours
And kiss the fellas all
You're as welcome as the flowers in May
To dear old Donnegal

They′ll give a party when I go home
They'll come from near and far
They′ll line the roads for miles and miles
With Irish jauntin' cars
The spirits′ll flow like buttermilk
Like you've never seen
And the piper'll play an Irish reel
To greet the Yankee Colleen
We′ll dance and sing the whole night long
Till twilights never seen
The lads′ll be decked in corduroy
The colleens wearin' green
There′ll be thousands there that I never saw
I've been so long away
But me mother will introduce them all
And this to me will say

Shake hands with your Uncle Mike, Colleen
And here is your sister, Kate
And there′s the boy you used to swing
Down by the garden gate
Shake hands with all of the neighbors
And kiss the fellas all
You're as welcome as the flowers in May
To dear old Donnegal

Meet 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

That′s Dear Old Donegal

Writer(s): Steve Graham<br>Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com