In the sweet county Lim'rick, one cold winter's night
All the turf fires were burning when I first saw the light;
And a drunken old midwife went tipsy with joy
As she danced round the floor with her slip of a boy
Singing bainne na mbó is an gamhna
And the juice of the barley for me
Then when I was a young lad of six years or so
With me book and my pencil to school I did go
To a dirty old school house without any door
Where lay the school master blind drunk on the floor
Singing bainne na mbó is an gamhna
And the juice of the barley for me
At the learning I wasn't such a genius I'm thinking
But I soon bet the master entirely at drinking
Not a wake or a wedding for five miles around
But meself in the corner was sure to be found
Singing bainne na mbó is an gamhna
And the juice of the barley for me
Then one Sunday the priest read me out from the altar
Saying you'll end your days with your neck in a halter;
And you'll dance a fine jig betwix heaven and hell
And his words they did haunt me the truth for to tell
Singing bainne na mbó is an gamhna
And the juice of the barley for me
So the very next morn as the dawn it did break
I went down to the priest house the pledge for to take
And in there in the room sat the priests in a bunch
Round a big roaring fire drinking tumblers of punch
Singing bainne na mbó is an gamhna
And the juice of the barley for me
Well from that day to this I have wandered alone
I'm a jack of all trades and a master of none
With the sky for me roof and the earth for me floor
And I'll dance out my days drinking whiskey galore
Singing bainne na mbó is an gamhna
And the juice of the barley for me