Lisdoonvarna - Christy Moore

How’s it goin' there everybody

From Cork, New York, Dundalk, Gortahork and Glenamaddy

Here we are in the County Clare

It’s a long, long way from here to there

There’s the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher

The Tulla and the Kilfenora

Micho Russell, Doctor Bill

Willie Clancy, Noel Hill

Flutes and fiddles everywhere

If it’s music you want

You should go to Clare

Oh, Lisdoonvarna

Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoonvarna!

Everybody needs a break

Climb a mountain or jump in a lake

Some head off to exotic places

Others go to the Galway Races

Mattie goes to the South of France

Jim to the dogs, Peter to the dance

A cousin of mine goes potholing

A cousin of heres loves Joe Dolan

Summer comes around each year

We go there and they come here

Some jet off to … Frigiliana

But I always go to Lisdoonvarna

I always leave on a Thursday night

With me tent and me groundsheet rolled up tight

I like to hit Lisdoon

In around Friday afternoon

This gives me time to get me tent up and my gear together

I don’t need to worry about the weather

Ramble in for a pint of stout

You’d never know who’d be hangin' about!

There’s a Dutchman playing a mandolin

And a German looking for Liam Óg O’Floinn

And there’s Adam, Bono and Garrett Fitzgerald

Gettin' their photos taken for the Sunday World

Finbarr, Charlie and Jim Hand

And they drinkin' pints to bate the band

The multitudes, they flocked in throngs

To hear the music and the songs

Motorbikes and Hi-ace vans

With bottles — barrels — flagons — cans

Mighty craic.

Loads of frolics

Pioneers and alcoholics

PLAC, SPUC and the FCA

Free Nicky Kelly and the IRA

Hairy chests and milk-white thighs

Mickey dodgers in disguise

Mc Graths, O’Briens, Pippins, Coxs

Massage parlours in horse boxes

There’s amhráns, bodhráns, amadáns

Arab sheiks, Hindu Sikhs, Jesus freaks

RTE are makin' tapes, takin' breaks and throwin' shapes

This is heaven, this is hell

Who cares?

Who can tell?

(Anyone for the last few Choc Ices, now?)

A 747 for Jackson Browne

They had to build a special runway just to get him down

Before the Chieftains could start to play

Seven creamy pints came out on a tray

Shergar was ridden by Lord Lucan

Seán Cannon did the backstage cookin'

Clannad were playin' «Harry's Game»

Christy was singin' «Nancy Spain»

Mary O’Hara and Brush Shields

Together singin' «The Four Green Fields»

Van the Man and Emmy Lou

Moving Hearts and Planxty too!

Everybody needs a break

Climb a mountain or jump in a lake

Sean Doherty goes to the Rose of Tralee

Oliver J. Flanagan goes swimming in the Holy Sea

But I like the music and the open air

So every Summer I go to Clare

Coz Woodstock, Knock nor the Feast of Cana

Can hold a match to Lisdoonvarna