Ancestral, historical and genealogical research in the County of Tyrone including all of Ulster.

Poem by David Kee A.D. 1855

From the Original Manuscript by the late David KEE, Larch-Hill, Donemana
David Irvine Ltd. Waterloo Printing Works, Londonderry j1648 1963

In eighteen hundred and fifty-five, In Tullyard, well and alive
Are Sam M'Crea and Jemmy Glenn, James Macklin,-three, the oldest men;
John Davis, Porter, M'Intyre,-- The more they drink, they still get drier.
M'Creas, John, James and William; then, Are William Laughlin, Robert Glenn,
And William Campbell, David Kee, And Rev. M'Colthurst next you'll see.
Binnelly people all in health, And likewise with good store of wealth--
George Alexander, Robert Craig, Old Stewart and David of Peeltegg.
Next Donemana you may view, From the old bridge to Waterloo,--
The bygone days did merit praise, Above these dull degenerate days;
The fairs did then in spendour shine, With gallant youths and maidens fine,--
That day their minds were free from care, And did then gayest dresses wear;
That day from worry all were free, That day their sweethearts they could see;
That day their love would be made known, That day their valour too, was shown.
And whiskey drunk with right goodwill-- No hindrance then to drink their fill.
And stationed there, are four police To guard the town and keep the peace.
John Swann, James Deery and James Dunn, Andy Campbell , Watty Connison,
Willy Melaugh and Mick Maghery, James Brown and Hugh Donaghy;
O'Rourke and Smith-- black vulcan fellows, John Alexander, Willy Ellis;
Jean Ramsay, Fanny Black and Hyndman--, The world him sqeezed, yet he's a kind man.
Frank and John Carberry's education--, Half bully, half civilization.
Fair Earlsgift we must not forget,-- The Rector Douglas' pleasant seat
The men of Leat too, must be shown, First Bob M'Crossan, Jack M'Cone,
Pat Boyle, Francis and Pat O'Kane, In Barron town are Ben M'Shane;
Three Nelsons,-- Sam lives next the heather, And two M'Clincheys, all together;
Joe, John and William Sayers: then, Horsejockey Scotts-- right knowing men.
In Gortileck, next you may see, Are Mathew, Sam and Robert Kee
James and old Billy Laughlin: then, Old John M'Cay and William Glenn;
Upon the hill, big John Arbuckle, John, David, James and Jack M'Michael,
M'Michael's music can impart, Sweet mirthful joy, and melt the heart.
Three families, M'Cays, combined-- Some of them savage, others kind.
Next widow Poke lives at the Lynn, And James and William, Stonylane;
Thomas and William Fulton: well, We now are come to Windyhill.
Old Willy Fulton,-- John, I think, His spirits the world could never sink.
William Arbuckle takes his cup, And always keeps his spirits up,
His brother's sons his land do till, And Porterfield lives at the Archkiln.
We'll cross the burn to Ballaghalair,--Long famed for wiskey, love and war;
John Laughlin's sons and Jack M'Clea, Are living at the rookery.
John Jamison and John Kerrigan, Both grocer is and publican;
Another grocer-- Edward Ross. And Mathew Callaghan at the moss.
Next William Laughlin, Sam M'Clea; John Harron and Bob Hunter, they
Live in that part that's called Greenhill, Which brings us now to Gobnascale.
John Callaghan here we first will place,-- The oldest man and oldest race
In all the town, but William, his son, Must wed, or out the race will run;
Sam Kee, John Martin, John M'Crea, Old Jemmy Clark and John Ramsay,
James Johnston; these I think are all, The established natives but James Hall.
If to Glencush you wish to stray, There William, James and Bob M'Crea
Live near the Dennett's winding strand-- "Midst pleasant groves and fertile land.
John and James Lowry, Doorit Hill, Charles and James Quigley, Silverhill;
Their next door neighbour, Charles M'Shane. The Bates, Joseph, Joe and John.
James Bryce, John and Bob Huey, they, Are living up on Glencush brae;
Ephraim M'Morris-- chaste and free, And knowing Jemmy and John M'Gee.
John Holmes at Strandabrossney lives, And law at Donemana gives;
And now Mountcastle comes in view; Where lives old bachelors-- not a few;
First Robert and John Makey, old, And William Huston next behold.
Sam, John and William Alexander, To wed have ne'er been tempt to wander.--
Could we another town just find, Of right old maids, all well inclined
To pity take on these old boys, and join in matrimonial joys.
James Lyon's too a bachelor ,And might come in then for a share;
Jack Lyons-- none e'er said him ill-- And Andy Scott lives on the hill.
By the Old Castle's ruined walls-- Those once gay majestic halls.
If Greystone people you would know, There are the Love's-- John and Old Joe--
Jemmy Laughlin and O'Neill, James Poke, M'Morris and John Ball,
At Greystone-- Ned Doherty, And at the bridge-- William M'Crea
And now of Castlemellon men , We mention Joseph Bogle; then
James Todd, James Gibson, and along, The upper road lives Andy Young,
Old Jemmy Hylands-- civil still-- And Jemmy Gilmore on the hill,
And Robert Gilmore, too, his son, And, near them, Wm. Stevenson.
Next, Carrickatain, on the hill face-- Then Robert Patrick first we'll place;
Tom Glenn and Tom and Wm Rankin, James Todd and Robert in the thinkin'
Could never cordilly agree, On anything whate'er it be.
In fair Ardcame, by Dennett's floods-- Young Robert and Old Andy Woods.
Widow M'Morris. too we'll mention. And Fawney, next, draws our attention--
James. William. John and James Colhoun-- The oldest stock in all the town--
The M'Intyres for song are named, And old Tom Bond for strength was famed;
Old James and William Alexander. And if we now be temp't to wander
To William Cochrane's, by the burn, We'll go no further, but return
And stop-- fit place-- in old Churchill, With the old Graveyard o'er the hill;
There ends life, pride and vanity;And man suffering here is free.
Now, though all they whose names I tell, Throughout the several towns are well,
Death soon shall sweep then all away, Forever to their kindred clay--
Their works, their cares, another race, shall then possess, and fill their place.
All memory of them shall be gone; Their very names will not be known.
And cold this heart, and mute this tongue; And if these lines, would live so long.
They who may read may think and say-- "We too, like them, must pass away."

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