The Shlaun Man

Some say the lark sing near the gates of heaven If this be so the lark has far to fly But o'er the brown bogland of Caherbarnagh I heard him piping in the cloudy sky. In Den Donnelly's bog spreading turf from Jer Leary One of the best shlaun men for miles around A stocky built man of five foot four no taller The best of men are built close to the ground. Jer Leary said when skylark pipes his sweetest Then surely rain can't be too far away The fog is gathering over Gortavehy We well might have a shower or two today. Jer Leary was truly a skilful shlaun man He learnt his trade well from Den Donnelly He shlauned the turf out quick and clean and even And I marvelled at his sheer dexterity One of the last of the old breed of shlaun men I fancy I can see him shlauning still Jer Leary's bones may well be resting elsewhere But his ghost is in the bog by Caher hill. The lark was singing over the brown bogland On that cloudy morning years ago in May And Jer Leary wiped his brow as he looked upwards Saying we might have a shower or two today.