Robbie Murphy

It must be more than forty years ago since Robbie went away
To live distant from Shannaknuck in the U.S of A
And I might not recognize the man were we to meet today
For ageing show as years go by and youth with us doesn't stay.

He wore the Millstreet jersey when he played gaelic football
And he was a star at underage as I can well recall
And he may well have worn the Cork jersey and been a sporting great
But wanderlust was calling him and wanderlust doesn't wait.

And the call of wander few can resist some call it travel bug
And others say that wanderlust in some ways like a drug
And Robbie answered to it's call he left the bogland brown
And from Millstreet he traveled far to live in bigger town.

On summer evenings we walked the roads Robbie, old Jack and I
Old Jack our common brown sheepdog of old age he did die
We sent him into farmers yards for Jack enjoyed a fight
And to see him best the other dog a memorable sight.

From fights with Padraig Cronin's dog and Den Cronin's Kerry blue
The face of Jack the old war dog showed an old scar or two
And now I know how cruel we were for dog fighting is cruel
But we were young and innocent and still in Primary school.

I have heard that Robbie has a wife though that may be hear say
But I know for almost certain he lives in the U.S.A.
We were good friends in primary school and football we did play
In old school yard in Millstreet Town a half a world away.