The Pride of Erin

So she says, lad, she'd only take up wid a man
Who was wan av the best, faith, the crame av the clan,
And the pride av the counthry and salt av the earth?
So she's leavin' you, lad, not knowin' your worth,
And she holds she can't mate wid a Kerry like you,
Since she's plannin' to take on wid blood that is blue!
And the Divil go wid her, but couldn't she see
You'd the blood av O'Gorman, Fitzpatrick, Magee?
And the stock that is first in both fightin' and work,
From the line av O'Brien and Kelly and Burke?

— From O'Failey, O'Dailey, O'Reily, O'Neil
To O'Connell, O'Cooney, O'Shea and O'Sheil!
McCaffray, McCurchy, McCarroll, McCann,
All rulers and fighters since fightin' began!
O'Leary, O'Farrell, O'Carroll, O'Kane,
McCormack, McGurly, McManus, McShane,
And Gorman, Fitzpatrick and Fightin' McGirr,
And iv'ry last man av thim betther than her!

So she says you're no betther than Irish, me lad,
But a counthry-bred, swine-drivin' fenian, bedad!
The whiffet! the upshtart! the meal-fed boothoon!
And could she be tellin', though fed on a spoon,
The crame av the world from ould Brian Boru?
Faith, how could she hope for a Kerry like you? —
With the pride av your sivin ould kings in your veins,
Wid your mother O'Toole, and your sire av McShanes?
Wid your ancistry iv'ry wan wearin' his crown,
From Rhu and O'Brien to Big Holleran down!

— From O'Failey, O'Dailey, O'Reily, O'Neil
To O'Connell, O'Cooney, O'Shea and O'Sheil!
McCaffray, McCurchy, McCarroll, McCun,
McClone and McCoy — and kings iv'ry one!
O'Leary, O'Farrell, O'Carroll, O'Kane,
McCormack, McGurly, McManus, McShane,
And Tagon O'Regen and Mighty McGlone,
The finest av fighters and kings to the bone!