The Rare Ould Times

Lyrics for The Rare Ould Times

Raised on songs and stories, heroes of renown I got passing tales and glories that once was Dublin Town The hallowed halls and houses, the haunting children's rhymes That once was part of Dublin in the rare ould times Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times Well we name it is Sean Dempsey, as Dublin as can be Born hard and late in Pimlico, in a house that ceased to be By trade I was a cooper, lost out to redundancy Like my house that fell to progress, my trade's a memory And I courted Peggy Dignam, as pretty as you please A rogue and child of Mary, from the rebel Liberties I lost her to a student chap, with skin as black as coal When he took her off to Birmingham, she took away my soul Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times The years have made me bitter, the gargle dims me brain 'Cause Dublin keeps on changing, and nothing seems the same The Pillar and the Met are gone, the Royal long since pulled down As the grey unyielding concrete, makes a city of my town Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times Fare thee well sweet Anna Liffey, I can no longer stay And watch the new glass cages, that spring up along the quay My mind's too full of memories, too old to hear new chimes I'm a part of what was Dublin, in the rare ould times Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times