Red-Haired Mary -

As I was going to the fair in Dingle

One fine morning last July,

On the road I saw before me

A red-haired maiden passing by.

«Come ride with me, my red-haired maiden.

My donkey can carry two.»

She looked at me, her eyes a-twinkling

And her cheeks a rosy hue

Keep your hands off red-haired Mary

Her and I will soon be wed

We’ll see the priest this very morning

Tonight we’ll lie in a marriage bed.

When we reached the town of Dingle

I took her hand to say good-bye

A tinker, he walked up behind me

And punched me hard in my left eye.

I was feeling kind of peevish

And my left eye was sad and sore

I rapped him gently with my hobnail,

And he flew back to Murphy’s door

Keep your hands off red-haired Mary

Her and I will soon be wed

We’ll see the priest this very morning

Tonight we’ll lie in a marriage bed.

He ran off to find his brothers

Larger men I ne’er did see

They rapped me gently with their knuckles

And I was minus two front teeth

And then a peeler came round the corner

He said, «Son you done broke the law.»

When my donkey kicked him in the kneecaps

He fell down and broke his jaw.

Keep your hands off red-haired Mary

Her and I will soon be wed

We’ll see the priest this very morning

Tonight we’ll lie in a marriage bed.

The red-haired maiden just stood there smiling

«I'll come with you, young man,"she said.

«We'll skip the priest this very morning,

Tonight we’ll lie in Murphy’s shed!»

Keep your hands off red-haired Mary

Her and I will soon be wed

We’ll skip the priest this very morning,

Tonight we’ll lie in Murphy’s shed!

Keep your hands off red-haired Mary

Her and I will soon be wed

Skip the priest this very morning,

Tonight we’ll lie in Murphy’s shed!