THE EXILE ----------------- 1) When I was young, all in my youth I thought I'd like to roam. Like many another foolish boy I had no thoughts for home. The kind old friends around me, they thought so well of me. But I left my dear old parents, and I went away to sea. 2) My father, at my parting, said: "My lad, where'er you roam, let no one's joys make you forget the loving ones at home". My mother, she could hardly speak that day I went away. She threw her arms around my neck, those words to me did say: "My boy, God bless you, darling son, wherever you may roam, my prayers shall be, both night and day, that God may watch you home. Goodbye, God bless you darling", so sadly she did cry. While I'll have life, I'll ne'er forget my mother's last goodbye. 3) At length I started o'er the sea to a land far far away. I toiled beneath the burning sun for many a dreary day. Yet, though I had the wish for gold, the thoughts ran in my ears of the last fond words I heard from home were from my parents dear. 4) Then:- my mem'ry fled to Ireland, my home across the sea where loving hearts were beating, oft filled with thoughts of me. In home and kindred, I must speak, were many a heartfelt sigh of father's kind and loving words, and my mother's last goodbye. 5) I landed, but, alas, too late. My parents they were dead. My gold now had no joy for me, for all my joys were fled. But I hope to hear those loving words in a land beyond the sky. And:- while lives are lives, I'll ne'er forget my parents' last goodbye. Mistakes I found while researching Parish Records: About 200 Baptisms were omitted from the Records. (There was known as Baiste an Urlair, or Floor Baptism. In olden days, the Priest used often go around on a saddled horse and Baptise the children in their homes. By the time he arrived home, he at times had forgotten some of the names of children he had Baptised. So those those names were missing from th Records (--- but, I eventually traced them !!). Boys were put into the Records were girls' names, and girls were put down with boys' names. Grandparents and Godparents were put down as parents of children --- all mixed up. Twins were put down as being born 2 months apart. (There must have been some long pregnancies in those days). A boy was born 3 times. A girl in Bere Island got married on the day she was born. A man got married to his mother. A boy was dead for 3 months before he was born. A woman married 2 men the same day. (The 1st fellow must have "taken off" while "the going was good"). A man from Kilmacowen was buried 72 years before he got married in New York. Then, there was the story of Big Patrick from Castletownbere who handed the Priest in an envelope his offering for one child when he should have given him the offering for 2 --- as he had Baptised twins. When Big Patrick was then reminded by the Priest that he had Baptised 2 --- and not 1 --- Big Patrick replied: "2 arrived, but there was only 1 ordered and I am only paying for what I ordered !! Another day, Big Patrick, whose job it was to put a body into the coffin beside a Hospital, had just put the body in --- with an umbrella over it --- when Sr. Oliver rushed out on seeing what was after happening. "Good God, Patrick", she exclaimed, "Why are you putting the body into the coffin with an umbrella over it ?" "Well, Sr.", said Big Patrick, "it might be raining when he gets to the other side " !! Re. the writings I've, for many years, sent to the Beara Column, I have to say that age catches up with me too. So I've sent you the poem called "The Exile", and now I must say "Tooraloo". I hope that I've oft' made you happy. The tears nearly come to my eyes. But I can not go on forever, so, to all of my friends, 'tis GOODBYE. My thanks to Bill Gawne and to all the other people who have done great work in charge over the Beara Column for many years. To them all I express a profound GRATIAS. *----- Riobard*