The Bush Bar Girls

The girls I knew from the Bush bar where might they be today?
Perhaps some might be living now in cities far away
Whilst some found love with local men and in Duhallow stay
And in the backyards of their homes their children romp and play.
.
The Murphys Mary and Eileen and their friend Catherine Moore
Where these three women live today can’t say that I feel sure
And blond haired Rita Murphy from the road by Mushera hill
Did she find love near to her home and live near Aubane still?
.
The O Brien sisters from near Rathmore they lived in Millview Lane
They found true love in the Bush bar and the memories remain
Of Breda Tarrant with the sweet singing voice she has a heart of gold
I keep on going back to the past back to the days of old
.
Nuala Taylor and Kathy Ann her friend were there each sunday night
And Miss Hickey from Millview Lane she seemed demure and quiet
And Noreen Barrett and Mrs Hickey served the drinks they did fine job those two
And owner Sean Gallen and his good wife Ann served their customers too.
.
Memories of the Sullivan sisters and the Lane girls remain undimmed by time
And the Corkery girls from Clarabeg back then were in their prime
On sunday night at the Bush bar they wheeled around the floor
And when the band played the last waltz they called for an encore.
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The Healy sisters from Minor Row were there rain, hail or shine
And the Bush bar was the place to be on Sunday after nine
And Connie D and Cassidy danced their wives off of their feet
They danced all night until closing time at the Bush bar in Millstreet
.
The Buckley sisters from Cloghoula, Joan Moynihan and Danny Kelleher’s wife
On sunday evenings until late the Bush bar came to life
And Pete Lane’s band played old Irish tunes the dancers took the floor
And they danced away their cares in life for two hours or maybe more.
.
Denny and Jerry Kelleher and their wives, Mary Cotter and Paddy Joe
And John Barry danced with his wife heel to heel and toe to toe
And Mr and Mrs Billy Shea their night out did enjoy
And Johnny Hickey and his spouse to dance were never shy
.
The Cotter clan were there in strength sisters cousins and all
And Pauline Cleary often there her presence I recall
And the Kellehers of Murphy’s Terrace I knew them just to see
And the Sweeneys from Cloghoula still come to memory.
.
Miss Tucker from Ballydaly than her none quite so fair
She always looked so beautiful with curly light brown hair
And Tadghy Sullivan from Kiskeam and his love and Con Tarrant and Noreen
In the Bush Bar on sunday nights together often seen.
.
The Healys, Reardons, Reas and Twohigs of Murphy’s Terrace and the Cronins of Church street
In the Bush bar on sunday night ’twas hard to find a seat
But in the Bush bar of today I might feel out of place
I well may be a stranger there another foreign face.
.
Jack Baily and his Mrs were working up a sweat
And Den and Mrs Hickey them I never could forget
And the teenagers then in their thirties now and well beyond their prime
For there is never any turning back the hands of time.
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Jo Ann Murphy and Anna Kelleher and the Dowlings come to mind
And young Noreen Barrett from Tullig hope life to them has been kind
And Brendy Murphy and his Mrs and the Brodericks of Clara View
And Delia Barrett and Mrs Carroll almost had forgot those two.
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The juke box in the small room till closing time knew no rest
And the younger generation liked the eighties music best
Una Twomey and the Greaneys and the Dinneens you might see
At the West End in the Bush bar on a Sunday after tea.
.
Some of them I knew visually and some of them I knew well
And some of those girls of the Bush bar in foreign parts now dwell
And some found true love near to home and in Duhallow stay
And in the backyards of their homes their children romp and play.

by Francis Duggan