Galway Shawl - John Wright

At Oranmore, in the County Galway, one pleasant evening in the month of May.

I saw a damsel, she was fair and handsome and her beauty nearly took my breath

away.

She wore no jewels, no 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.

As we were walking, we kept on talking till her father’s cottage came into view.

She said, «Come in sir and meet my father and for to please him,

play 'The Foggy Dew.'»

She wore no jewels, no 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.

I played «The Blackbird,» «The Stack of Barley,» «Rodney's Glory,» and «The Foggy Dew.»

She sang each note like an Irish Linnet till tears came into her eyes so blue.

She wore no jewels, no 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.

It was early early, all in the morning when I hit the road for Old Donegal.

She cried and kissed me and said, «Goodbye sir.»

But my heart remains with the Galway Shawl.

She wore no jewels, no 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.

And round her shoulders was the Galway Shawl!