The Dubliners - Master Mcgrath lyrics

Eighteen sixty-nine being the date
And the year
Those Waterloo sportsmen and more did appear
For to gain the great prizes
And bear them awa'
Never counting on Ireland and Master Mcgrath

On the twelfth of November
That day of renown
Mcgrath and his keeper they left Lurgan town
A gale in the Channel
It soon drove them o'er
On the thirteenth they landed
On England's fair shore

Oh well when they arrived there
In big London Town
Those great English sportsmen
All gathered around
And one of those gentlemen standing nearby
Said, 'Is that the great dog
You call Master Mcgrath? '

Oh well one of the gentlemen standing around
Says, 'I don't care a damn
For your Irish greyhound! '
And another he sneered with
A scornful 'Ha! Ha!
We'll soon humble the pride of
Your Master Mcgrath '

Then Lord Lurgan came forward and said
'Gentlemen
If there's any amongst you has money to spend
For your grand English nobles I
Don't care a straw
Here's five thousand to one
Upon Master Mcgrath '

Oh, Mcgrath he looked up and
He wagged his old tail
Informing his lordship
'Sure I know what you mean
Don't fear, noble Brownlow
Don't fear them agra
We'll soon tarnish their laurels'
Says Master Mcgrath

Oh well Rose stood uncovered
The great English pride
Her master and keeper were close by her side
They let them away and the crowd cried
'Hurrah! ' for the pride of all
England and Master Mcgrath

Oh well Rose and the Master
They both ran along 'i wonder', says Rose
'what took you from your home
You should have stayed there
In your Irish domain
And not come to gain laurels
On Albion's plain '

'Well, I know', says the Master
'we have wild heather bogs
But, bedad
In old Ireland there's good men and dogs
Lead on, bold Britannia
Give none of your jaw
Stuff that up your nostrils'
Says Master Mcgrath

Well the hare she led on just
As swift as the wind
He was sometimes before her
And sometimes behind
He jumped on her back and held
Up his ould paw -
'Long live the Republic', says Master Mcgrath