LAMENT FOR DR.TOMMY DALY


ON THE WINDSWEPT HILL OF TULLA,
WHERE THE CLARE MEN PLACE THEIR DEAD,
FOUR SOLEM YEWS STAND SENTINEL
ABOVE A HURLERS HEAD,
AND FROM THE BROKEN NORTH LANDS
FROM BURREN BLEAK AND BARE,
THE DIRGE OF TOMMY DALY
GOES SURGING ON THROUGH CLARE.


NO MORE SHALL LIMEWHITE GOALPOASTS,
SOAR TAPERING AND TALL
ABOVE THE GREATEST GOALMAN
THAT EVER CLUTCHED A BALL.
NOR YET HE'LL ROUSE THE ECHOES
OF ASH IN NATIVE AIR,
NOR HEED THE THROBBING THOUSANDS
TENSE WITH PRIDE OF CLARE.


BUT WHENEVER CLARE DOES BATTLE
AND WHOEVERGUARDS THE GOAL,
WHENE'ER THE CITADEL IS SAVED,
THE PROUD,THE NOBLE SOUL
OF STERLING TOMMY DALY
THEY SHALL RECALL AND SAY,
"GOD REST YOU TOMMY DALY
ON YOUR WINDSWEPT HILL TODAY".


TO THINK THAT NEVER ONCE AGAIN
HE'LL DON WITH LIGHTSOME AIR
THE CLARET AND GOLD OF TULLA
NOR THE BLUE AND GOLD OF CLARE.
PERHAPS THEY'LL PRAY WHEN FEASTS ARE HIGH
AND HEALED THE WOUNDS OF FIGHT,
"GOD REST YOU TOMMY DALY
ON YOUR WINDSWEPT HILL TONIGHT".


THE YEARS SHALL SILVER TEMPLES
OF HURLERS YOUNG AND FREE
TILL BLOWS THE LONG,LONG WHISTLE
OF ETERNAL REFEREE.
THEN UP THE HILLSIDE LONELY
THEY RE BORNE WITH FUNERAL TREAD,
TO THE WINDSWEPT HILL OF TULLA
WHERE THE CLAREMEN PLACE THEIR DEAD.


BEYOND THIS PLACE OF TOIL AND TEARS
BEYOND THIS PLACE OF WOE,
THERE IS A BOURNE IN PARADISE
WHERE ALL THE HURLERS GO.
AND THERE IS PRIME THEY ARE GOALING
ANDRACE ACROSS THE SOD
AND THRILL OVER DEAD FOREFATHERS
ON THE LEVEL LAWNS OF GOD.


ON THE WINDSWEPT HILL OF TULLA
WITHIN WHOS BREAST SO DEEP
WITH DREAMS OF RESURRECTION MOURN
A THOUSAND HURLERS SLEEP,
AND WITH THEM TOMMY DALY
FOUR YEWS ABOVE HIS HEAD
ON THE WINDSWEPT HILL OF TULLA
WHERE THE CLAREMEN PLACE THEIR DEAD.