Mick Sugrue

In the nineteen fifties in Duhallow when times were quite hard On his bicycle door to door salesman Mick Sugrue used to sell meat by the yard To the woman who complained to him his meat had too many bones His reply was expect this when you buy meat when you buy earth you buy stones An aging tall slightly built fellow always wearing a hat He used to say on door to door meat sales one never does grow fat A witty old fellow with words he had a way Of great characters like he was there are not many today People like he was deserve to be remembered in story and song With meat sacks on his handlebars and carrier he pedaled along On a hard way to earn a living in times That were tough But the genial Mick with persuasive sales skills to the task good enough A marvelous old character with a great turn of phrase There are not many like he was in Duhallow nowadays One of the most memorable of people i knew as a boy Good memories do live on as a source of joy Of the witty door to door meat salesman quite quick on the tongue In the place that i lived in when i was young From one of Duhallow's most memorable characters Mick Sugrue the gift of life may be long gone But good memories of the man he was does live on.