Lines Written On Meeting Two Kerry Ladies

It is a long distance from Ireland from green mead and bogland brown
To Victoria's biggest City that is famous Melbourne Town
But I met two Kerry ladies and quite pretty ones as well
Where the Melbourne Irish hang out at the Normandy hotel.

They seemed aloof and lonely so I asked to join their company
And they made me feel quite welcome they did not object to me
They seemed nice enough young ladies untouched by conceit or guile
And they had the warmth of Kerry in their free and easy smile.

Lovely dark haired Mareod O Leary from a place called Scartaglen
She complained that she was homesick and was not attracting men
But in a place where she is new to and where unattached young men are few
It is hard to find love and friendship and familiar hearts more true.

And lovely fair haired Ann Carroll she look Irish to the core
From a place called Gneeveguilla just a short drive from Rathmore
She too was feeling homesick for Sliabh Luachra by the hills
For the fields and woods of east Kerry and the rippling streams and rills.

They are beautiful young nurses and to chat to them's a joy
But they are out of place in Melbourne they are far too quiet and shy
And shy ladies though quite pretty almost all of the time lose out
And to get men in big city one must learn to mix about.

Methink they should return to Kerry and wed good Kerry womens sons
They could comfort them and love them when their hard days work was done
And they might breed strong healthy children hard as Kerry mountain wire
Who might one day help 'The Kingdom' win another Sam Maguire.

Two young nurses from east Kerry I met in the Normandy Hotel
And though that has been some time ago I still remember well
That they felt very homesick for their green old homeland shore
And I drank and chatted with them for two hours or maybe more.