Are Ye Right There Michael?

Are Ye Right There Michael? - John Roche

Written by： Percy French

You may talk of Columbus's sailing

Across the Atlantical Sea

But he never tried to go railing

From Ennis as far as Kilkee

You run for the train in the morning

The excursion train starting at eight

You're there when the clock gives the warnin'

And there for an hour you'll wait

And as you're waiting in the train

You'll hear the guard sing this refrain

Are ye right there Michael are ye right

Do you think that we'll be there before the night

Ye've been so long in startin'

That ye couldn't say for certain

Still ye might now Michael

So ye might

They find out where the engine's been hiding

And it drags you to sweet Corofin

Says the guard

Back her down on the siding

There's a goods from Kilrush coming in

Perhaps it comes in two hours

Perhaps it breaks down on the way

If it does says the guard by the powers

We're here for the rest of the day

And while you sit and curse your luck

The train backs down into a truck

Are ye right there

Michael are ye right

Have ye got the parcel there for Mrs White

Ye haven't oh begorra

Say it's comin' down tomorra

And well it might now Michael

So it might

At Lahinch the sea shines like a jewel

With joy you are ready to shout

When the stoker cries out

There's no fuel

And the fire's tee-totally out

But hand up that bit of a log there

I'll soon have ye out of the fix

There's fine clamp of turf in the bog there

And the rest go a-gatherin' sticks

And while you're breakin' bits of trees

You hear some wise remarks like these

Are ye right there Michael

Are ye right

Do ye think that you can get the fire to light

Oh an hour you'll require

For the turf it might be drier

Well it might now Michael

So it might

Kilkee

Oh you never get near it

You're in luck if the train brings you back

For the permanent way is so queer

It spends most of its time off the track

Uphill the old engine is climbin'

While the passengers push with a will

You're in luck when you reach Ennistymon

For all the way home is downhill

And as you're wobblin' through the dark

you hear the guard make this remark

Are you right there Michael are ye right

Do you think that we'll be home before it's light

Tis all dependin' whether

The old engine holds together

And it might now Michael so it might