It Was Padraig Cronin Told Me

It was Padraig Cronin told me how the ghosts of Ireland died When the Irish freedom fighters only had one place to hide And that was in the graveyards in the tombs they hid away And their fear of ghosts then vanished that's what Padraig used to say. I was just a little boy then and much too young to understand How the Black and Tans those bad men chased the ghosts out of Ireland And i thought Padraig was only joking when he said the Black and Tan Rid the fear of ghosts and spirits from the freedom fighting man. But now i know how right he was their superstitions fed their fear And when the British ravaged Ireland their phobias did disappear They found safety in the graveyards and the British never knew Where those who offered most resistance for safe hiding place went to. All the ghosts who lived in Ireland are forever dead and gone 'Twas the black and tans who killed them though some ghost stories still live on When i was a little fellow on a bright and breezy day It was Padraig Cronin told me as he built a rick of hay.