Owen Grady Again!

Transcription

OWEN GRADY AGAIN! 

[Owen Grady, born at Cooloo near Moylough, was 14 years of age the night of the “Big Wind” (1839) when corn enough, he says, for seven haggard sacks was driven by the storm from the south-west to his father’s farm, where, arrested in its wild career by Cooloo wood, it landed and remained.  He trotted after O’Connell’s carriage from Horseleap bridge to Gurranes in 1843, when the Emancipator addressed there a monster Repeal meeting.  Owen is willing to run any old-age pensioner in Ireland, a distance of eight miles and wager to cover it in an hour and a half, viz from Mr Donohoe’s shop door, Moylough, to Town Hall door, Tuam:-]

My dear friends of Tuam I know you’ll be glad

When you see Owen Grady is still to be had,

He is all electricity, courage, and soul,

And never once doubted of making a goal;

He is not over fleshy, in body and joint;

Was never brough up on potatoes and point;

He is a good runner, can strike like a ram,

And he knows beef and mutton from Matherson’s ham,

To take a food ‘goliouge’ he never did fear;

Would not say “No” to a tumbler of beer,

A smart, lively, person, as brisk as a sprite;

I wagered he’d win, and I turned out right.

He is civil, obliging, and all animation’

I hope that the HERALD will give circulation;

‘Bout what he did recently, also before;

In New York, New Jersey, and old Baltimore,

By nothing , of prejudice, over being tainted;

For 43 years we have been acquainted.

In no form, whatever, can I be a sinner,

For wishing so old a friend to be the winner,

Without a great uniforce musket, or shoe;

He can, any day, run them, as at Waterloo;

Where hundreds have fallen, ‘neath horses and smoke;

Owen Grady, of Dublin Road; you are no joke.

Composed by R. Beavan.

Monday, October 4th 1909

“Finis Ooranat Opus”