The Returned Young Migrants

Young Millstreet people home for Christmas from big cities far away
In the pubs in the old Hometown enjoying the Christmas holiday
Meeting old friends, making merry enjoying their guinness and their beer
These are good times in Duhallow coming up to the New Year.

For the ageing absent migrant this is a nostalgic time
Men and women getting older many years beyond their prime
Far from the old fields and the old Town that they left long years ago
They still can see in their flights of fancy the old hill in his hat of snow.

Their sons and daughters themselves are parents and the time it ticks on by
Far from their Hometown and Parish their bones are destined to lie
Still they have their nostalgic memories and young their memories remain
Of the wildflowers in the old fields fresh and lovely after Spring rain.

In heavily populated suburbs time has left them old and gray
Far from where the great Blackwater through Duhallow winds it's way
In their young years in the old pubs they too enjoyed the festive cheer
And they drank and they made merry coming up to the New Year.

The returned young migrants home for the Christmas for to spend time with their kith and kin
In the pubs in their old Hometown they will sing the New Year in
In early January they will be leaving for to return to the bigger town
For to live and work and maybe find love and far from their old parish settle down.