Susan Lawrence

Galway Shawl
Traditional

Near Oranmore in the County Galway,
One pleasant evening in the month of May,
He spied a colleen, she looked so pretty
She nearly stole his heart away.

She wore no jewels, nor costly diamonds,
No paint nor powder, no, none at all.
She wore a bonnet with ribbons on it
And round her shoulders was the Galway Shawl.

They kept on walking, she kept on talking,
'Till her father's cottage, it came into view.
She said, "Come in, and meet my father,
And play for him a tune or two

She wore no jewels, nor costly diamonds,
No paint nor powder, no, none at all.
She wore a bonnet with ribbons on it
And round her shoulders was the Galway Shawl.

He played The Blackbird , The Stack of Barley
The Old Bog Road, and The Boggy Dew
She sang each note like an Irish linnet.
And the tears filled up her eyes of blue.

She wore no jewels, nor costly diamonds,
No paint nor powder, no, none at all.
She wore a bonnet with ribbons on it
And round her shoulders was the Galway Shawl.

Early next mornings, as he was leaving
To take the road, to old Donnegal
Sure his heart was breaking, at the thought of leaving
So he stayed with Eileen, and her Galway shawl

She wore no jewels, nor costly diamonds,
No paint or powder, no, none at all.
She wore a bonnet with ribbons on it
And round her shoulders was the Galway Shawl.

And round her shoulders was the Galway Shawl.