Kilkelly - Brigham Phillips.mp3

[00:12.434]Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 60,
[00:16.681]my dear and loving son John.
[00:23.191]Your good friend the school master Pat McNamara's
[00:28.430]so good as to write these words down.
[00:34.177]Your brothers have all gone to find work in England,
[00:39.690]the house is so empty and sad,
[00:45.432]The crop of potatoes is sorely affected,
[00:50.441]a third to a half of them bad.
[00:56.432]And your sister Bridget and Patrick O'Donnell,
[01:01.924]are going to be married in June,
[01:07.433]Your mother says not to work on the railway,
[01:12.936]and be sure to come on home soon.
[01:21.689]Kilkelly Ireland, eighteen and seventy,
[01:26.687]my dear and loving son John.
[01:33.685]Hello to your missus and to your four children,
[01:37.937]that they may grow healthy and strong.
[01:43.431]Michael has got in a wee bit of trouble,
[01:48.427]I suppose he never will learn.
[01:54.437]Because of the dampness there's no turf to
[02:00.179]speak of and now we have nothing to burn.
[02:05.431]And Bridget is happy you named the child for her,
[02:10.680]although she's got six of her own.
[02:16.440]You say you've found work,
[02:19.178]but you don't say what kind,
[02:24.425]or when you'll be coming home.
[02:30.674]Kilkelly Ireland, eighteen and eighty,
[02:33.433]dear Michael and John my sons:
[02:41.689]I'm sorry to give you the very sad news,
[02:46.683]that your dear old mother has gone.
[02:52.427]We buried her down at the church in Kilkelly,
[02:57.932]your brothers and Bridget were there,
[03:03.185]You don't have to worry, she died very quickly,
[03:08.926]remember her in your prayers.
[03:14.179]And it's so good to hear thatMichael's returning.
[03:19.936]with money he's sure to buy land.
[03:25.196]For the crop has been poor and the people are selling,
[03:31.193]for any price that they can.
[03:39.926]Kilkelly Ireland, eighteen and ninety,
[03:45.187]my dear and loving son John:
[03:50.933]I suppose that I must be close on eighty,
[03:55.181]it's thirty years since you've gone.
[04:01.683]Because of all of the money you sent me,
[04:07.182]I'm still living out of my own.
[04:12.678]Michael has built himself a fine house，
[04:18.682]and Bridget's daughters have grown
[04:23.941]And thank you for sending your family picture,
[04:30.938]they're lovely young women and men.
[04:39.682]You say you might even come for a visit,
[04:40.689]what a joy to see you again.
[04:49.935]Kilkelly Ireland, eighteen and ninety two,
[04:54.437]my dear brother John,
[05:00.174]I'm sorry I didn't write sooner,
[05:04.934]to tell you that father has gone.
[05:10.938]He was living with Brigid,
[05:13.930]he said he was cheerful and healthy right down to the end.
[05:20.330]And you should have seen him play
[05:21.778]with the grandchildren,of Pat McNamara your friend.
[05:33.301]And we buried him alongside of mother,
[05:40.042]down at Kilkelly churchyard.
[05:43.782]He was a strong and a feisty old man,
[05:49.799]considering that life is so hard.
[05:55.292]And it's funny the way he kept talking about you,
[06:01.042]he called for you at the end.
[06:08.276]And why don't you think about coming to visit,
[06:17.785]we'd all love to see you again.