The deceased characters of Millstreet Parish amongst the dead may lay
But in Duhallow around the Cork and Kerry border memories of them live today
Distinctive individuals they had ways of their own
And as characters in their own lifetimes they were loved and well known
A beloved character of Millstreet Town the well liked Jerry Shea
And one can truly say of him a big man in every way
He was such fun with a few beers in laughter he did provoke
And it truly can be said of him that he was a good bloke
For Michael Murphy better known as ‘Mick Punk’ one must go back in time
To more than fifty years ago long before i reached my prime
The chimney sweep of Millstreet Town more than fifty years ago
In life he did make many a friend and he died without a foe
A sturdy built muscular man with broad shoulders his arms full of tattoos
The day he died in Millstreet Town the Parish stood to lose
Often covered in soot from sooty chimneys that his brushes on him had brought down
He must have been the sootiest man to ever have lived in Millstreet Town
Con Dennehy known as Billy Diesel or to most as Snowball
A beloved character of Millstreet Town and known to one and all
At religious and public gatherings he often brought fun to the day
A lot of fun left Millstreet Town when Snowball passed away
His likes which does seem sad to say never on a memorial wall
Yet a fun making individual one well worthy of recall
It truly can be said of Con he was a character supreme
Though a lot of changes in Millstreet Town since his time it does seem
Bill Brien the dealer bought and sold fowl and traded on smaller dead animals for their meat and skin
In his lifetime one who was well known and many friends did win
He traveled in his van and bought and sold fowl around Duhallow’s countryside
And far from Millstreet Town he was one who became known far and wide
The great character from lower Ballydaly Denny Murray to his calling in life true
In his lifetime he did help many for to give the man his due
He owned stud boars and stallions and and sprayed potato gardens with horse sprayer in the Spring
And clipped horses for farmers he tried his hand at everything
To an old style of character he surely did belong
When on the boozing sessions he often burst into song
His likes in Ballydaly will not be seen again
But good memories of the man he was with all who knew him does remain
Dee Dinneen the supreme character of Rathduane did not live to grow old
But so many stories of him in Duhallow pubs so often have been told
He was a funny man when drunk yet he would not harm a fly
And to him the tag of the true character it surely does apply
So many characters in Millstreet Parish that one could talk about
And Johnny Sing from Millview Lane is one who cannot be left out
He did not live to grow very old though he enjoyed his life span
One well liked in life he gained many friends as a witty and humorous man
Which brings us to Anthony Manley the one and only Mister O
A beloved character of Millstreet Town who died a few years ago
A likeable and kind hearted man his passing caused sadness and regret
Great characters like Mister O one never could forget
Bill Twomey and pipe smoking Bill Sullivan and Timmy Twomey as characters were known
Each were distinctive individuals with ways of their own
Amongst the characters of Millstreet they do deserve their place
At the passing of a character a Parish loses a well loved face
Peter Carroll and the brothers Daniel and Jackie Brown
Three well liked and well known characters who lived near Millstreet Town
And the mighty John Kelleher alias Jack the Mule knew of life in the hard way
In the Town and countryside by Clara Hill good memories of him live today
Of the deceased characters of Millstreet Parish i could mention plenty more
Of individual distinctive in their ways there were at least a score
And Millstreet now a changed place few things as same remain
But when i go to the past the characters of my younger years often come to life again.
