LAMENTABLE LINES, · In Lough Sheelin, Co. Cavan. You feeling hearted Christians of every degree, I claim your kind attention for to sympathise with me ; Till I relate the unhappy

LAMENTABLE LINES, On the late Melancholy

BOAT ACCIDENT, In Lough Sheelin, Co. Cavan.

You feeling hearted Christians of every degree, I claim your kind attention for to sympathise with me ; Till I relate the unhappy fate, which lately has befell, Seventeen souls on Lough Sheelin, most heart-rending to

tell.

On the 25th, of July, upon the present year, From the parish School of Cully, as it plainly does appear The Master and his Scholars his Monitress and wife, Went to boat upon Lough Sheelin, where they lost their

precious life.

On that morning all those children's hearts were joyful at the news,

When they heard round Sheelins waters they were going to have a cruise ;

They parted friends and parents not thinking it would be, That their pleasure day would terminate in death and

misery.

Dressed in the best attire, and with cheeks like roses red, This small but select party, with their master at their head They were not long arriving at the waters gloomy side, When the fatal boat was waiting for them upon the tide. Then as soon as they were seated it would make your

heart rejoice, For to see their innocent pastime and to hear their laugh-

ing voice ; The gave three cheers with joy, as they shoved out from

the shore, But little was their notion, that they would return no more

Then they scarcely were a mile from land when their cries was heard quite clear,

For their boat began to spring a-lake, which struck them all with fear ;

Been terror-struck their cries for help was heard for miles around,

But before relief could reach them, to the bottom they went down.

It would draw tears from the hardest heart, that ever beat in man,

For to hear their friends that evening upon Lough Shee-lins strand,

The fathers they were frantic, and the mothers screaming wild,

Oh God ! above, where is my love, my only darling child

Oh, may the Lord receive their souls they met an awful doom,

To be taken away so suddenly, all in their youth and bloom,

And God may comfort their parents, and their friends who may deplore,

Who is left behind to mourn their loss, who on earth to see no more.

N w to conclude my doleful theme I hope the Lord on high,

Who witnessed that sad tragedy with His all seeing eye, Will receive into the Mansions of everlasting life, Those childrens souls their monitress their master and

his wife.

At the sign of the bell on the road to clonmel, Fat Haggerty kept a neat cabin,

Sold pigs meat and bread kept lodgings besides, Was well liked in the country he lived in,

Himself and his wife both struggled thro' life, On week days Pat mended the ditch s,

And on Sunday he dressed in a coat of the best, But his pride was his ould leather breeches.

For twenty-one years at least so it appe His father those breeches had run in,

That morning he died he to his bed:side, Called Paddy his own darling son in

Advice for to give ere he went to his grave, And he bade him take care of his riches,

Saye he, its no use to step into my shoes, But I 'd like you'd leap into my breeches,

Now last winter's snow left victuals so low, That Paddy was ate out completely,

The snow coming down he could not get to town Thoughts of hunger did bother him greatly.

One night as he lay a dreaming away, About ghosts fairies spirits and witches

He heard an uproar outside the door, And he jumped up to pull on h a breeches.

Says Brian M'Guirk, with a voice like a turk, Come Paddy get us some at i g,

Says big Andy Moore we'll burst open the door, Sure this is no night to be waiting,

The words were scarce spoke wheh the door it was broke,

And they crowded round Paddy like leeches, And they swore by the mob if they didn't get prog.

They wou'd eat him clean out of his breeches,

Poor Paddy in dread slipped up to the bed, That held Judy his darling ould wife,

And there 'twas agreed that they should all get a feed So he slipped out and brought a big knife,

He cut off the waist of his breeches the beast, And he ripped out the buttons and stitches,

He cut them in stripes and the way they do tripes And boiled them his ould leather breeches

The tripes they were stewed, on a dish they were strewed,

And the boys all roared out—Lord be thanked ; But Hegarty's wife was afraid of her life,

And she thought it high time for to shank it. To see how they smiled, for they thought Paddy

boiled, Some mutton or beef of the richest,

But little they knew it was leather burgoo, That was made out of Paddy's ould breeches.

As they messed on the stuff, says Darby it's tough, Says Andy you're no judge of mutton,

When Bryan M'Guirk, on the point of his fork, Held up a big ivory button,

Says Paddy what's that, sure I thought it was fat Bryan leaps to his feet and he screeches.

By the powers above I was trying to shove, My teeth through the flap of his breeches

They all flew at Pat, but he cut out of that, He ran when he saw them all rising,

Says Bryan, make haste and go tor the priest, By the holy St. Patrick I'm poisoned

Revenge for the joke they had for they broke. All the chairs, tables, bowls, and dishes,

From that very night they'll knock out your daylight If they catch you with ould leather breeches.