John Joe Daly

He lit his pipe by cottage gate and blew a little smoke
Another story to be told and we listened as he spoke
And he took us back way back in time to when he was a young man
To civil war and further back to days of black and tan.

A small sized man with winning ways he had a great memory
And he had a great knowledge of all local history
And his story of the death of the hero Paddy McCarthy with me will long remain
Gunned down by British soldiers one dark night at Mill View Lane.

He lived all of his life in Millsreet and had great stories to tell
And he knew the history of Duhallow and his memory served him well
As a very good historian John Joe Daly won acclaim
But his stories unrecorded and that really seems a shame.

He was one of cultural value but which so often is the case
His gifts were taken for granted by most in his own home place
And he knew the history of Duhallow but his stories with him died
And to the future generations some thing great has been denied.

He lit his pipe and blew some smoke outside his cottage gate
And a story from his younger years to us he did relate
And he took us back to civil war and days of black and tan
And we gave our full attention to the old pipe smoking man.