The Emigrants Farewell (left)

Old Cross of Ardboe (right)

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Left: John Canavan

Fare ye well my native green clad hills
Fare ye well my shamrock plain
Ye verdant banks of sweet Lough Neagh
And ye silvery winding streams
Though far from my home in green Tyrone
My Flora first I strayed
I adore you Killcolpy
Where I spent my boyhood days.

2. Shall I ever see the grand old plains
Where in boyhood days I roved
Or wander through those grand old woods
With the girl I dearly loved
Shall I ever more by Lough Neagh's shore
E're pass the summer day.
Or hear again the larks sweet strain
Or hear the blackbirds pysomes play.

3. Shall I ever rove by Belmonts grove
Or Cranan's lofty hills
Or hear again the fairy tale
Of the rath behind the mill
Will the nightingale that charms the vale
By me be heard no more
As I watched at eve the wild drake leave
For the bogs of sweet Dromore.

4. Shall my oars e're rest on your wild wave crest
Or again see the salmon play
While sailing o'er from Tyrone's green shore
Bound for Antrim Bay
Or an autumn gale e're fill my sail
With a dim declining moon
See me tempest toss on the shores of Doss
Or the raging Bay of Toome.

5. Shall I ne'er behold Shane's Castle bold
Or gaze on Mazzereene
Shall my cot e're land on the banks of Bann
Coney Island or Roskeen.
Shall I ever stray by the Washingbay
The weary trout to coy
Or set my line on an evening fine
Round the shores of green Mountjoy.

6. All for you Ardboe my tears do flow
When I think and call to mind
My parents dear and friends sincere
And comrades true and kind
But I hope to graze on your flowery braes
E're seven long years come round
And hands to clasp in friendships grasp
Of those I left behind.

7. My friends out here in America
Have all that there hearts desire
My pockets filled with dollar bills
I am dressed in teh grand attire
I would give it all for one country ball
At home by the old hearth stone
In a cabin near Lough Neagh so dear
In my own dear native home.

8. Now hence, also long years have passed
And I'll toast that beautiful isle,
That soon and long o'er that land of song
A star of peace may smile
May plenty bloom from te Bann to Toome
And the shamrock verdant grow
Green o'er my grave by Lough Neagh's wave
Near the Old Cross of Ardboe.

Fare ye lovely green clad hills
Farewell ye shamrocks green
Ye verdant banks of deep Lough Neagh
With your silvery winding streams
Though far from my home in green Tyrone
Aye far from you I've strayed
I adore you Killcolpy
Where I spent my childhood days.

2. Shall I ever stray by the Washing Bay
The weary trout to coy
Or set my lines in the evenings fine
By the shores of deep Mountjoy
Will the summer gale e're fill my sail
Or the dim decling moon
See me tempest-tossed on the shores of Doss
Or the raging Bay of Toome.

3. Shall I ever rove by Belmonts grove
Or Cranan's lofty hills
Or hear again the fairy tale
Of the rath behind the mill
Shall I ne'er behold Shane's Castle bold
Or gaze on Mazzereene
Shall my cot e're land on the banks of Bann
Coney Island or Roskeen.

4. And though alas, long years have passed
Still I toast that beauteous isle,
And short or long on that land of song
May the star of freedom smile
May plenty bloom from the Bann to Toome
And the shamrocks verdant grow
Green round those graves near Lough Neagh's waves
And the Old Cross of Ardboe.


The original eight verses are on the left, and was known as "The Emigrant's Farewell". On the right is the more modern version of the eight conflated verses into four with the new title "The Old Cross of Ardboe".

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