Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Ireland: Vol. V. 1876–79. | | | | Passage | | The Town of Passage | | Francis Sylvester Mahony (Father Prout) (1804–1866) |
| | | THE TOWN of Passage | |
| Is both large and spacious, | |
| And situated | |
| Upon the say; | |
| ’T is nate and dacent, | 5 |
| And quite adjacent | |
| To come from Cork | |
| On a summer’s day. | |
| There you may slip in | |
| To take a dipping, | 10 |
| Forenent the shipping | |
| That at anchor ride; | |
| Or in a wherry | |
| Cross o’er the ferry | |
| To “Carrigaloe, | 15 |
| On the other side.” | |
| |
| Mud cabins swarm in | |
| This place so charming, | |
| With sailors’ garments | |
| Hung out to dry; | 20 |
| And each abode is | |
| Snug and commodious, | |
| With pigs melodious | |
| In their straw-built sty. | |
| ’T is there the turf is, | 25 |
| And lots of Murphies, | |
| Dead sprats and herrings, | |
| And oyster-shells; | |
| Nor any lack, O! | |
| Of good tobacco, | 30 |
| Though what is smuggled | |
| By far excels. | |
| |
| There are ships from Cadiz, | |
| And from Barbadoes, | |
| But the leading trade is | 35 |
| In whiskey-punch; | |
| And you may go in | |
| Where one Molly Bowen | |
| Keeps a nate hotel | |
| For a quiet lunch. | 40 |
| But land or deck on, | |
| You may safely reckon, | |
| Whatsoever country | |
| You come hither from, | |
| On an invitation | 45 |
| To a jollification | |
| With a parish priest | |
| That ’s called “Father Tom.” | |
| |
| Of ships there ’s one fixt | |
| For lodging convicts,— | 50 |
| A floating “stone jug” | |
| Of amazing bulk; | |
| The hake and salmon, | |
| Playing at backgammon, | |
| Swim for divarsion | 55 |
| All round this hulk. | |
| There “Saxon” jailers | |
| Keep brave repailers | |
| Who soon with sailors | |
| Must anchor weigh | 60 |
| From th’ em’rald island, | |
| Ne’er to see dry land | |
| Until they spy land | |
| In sweet Bot’ny Bay. | | | | |
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