The Intermountain Catholic 1st January 1910 p.6
At Christmas time how the holly branches twine
In stately hall and cabin old and grey!
And red among the leaves the holly berries brightly shine
At Christmas time in Ireland, far away
And brighter than the berries are the kindly Irish eyes.
And cheery are the greetings of the day,
The greetings and the blessings from the Irish heart that rise
At Christmas time in Ireland, far away!
At Christmas time in Ireland you can hear the chapel bell
A-calling ere the dawning of the day;
You can see the people thronging over field and over fell
To the ‘early Mass’ in Ireland, far away;
And saintly are the ‘sagarts’ that before the altars stand.
And faithful are the flocks that kneel and pray
Ah, surely God must show’r His choicest blessings on the land,
At Christmas time in Ireland, far away!
At Christmas time in Ireland there is feasting, there is song.
And merrily the fife and fiddle play
And lightly dance the cailín and boys the evening long.
At Christmas time in Ireland, far away!
There is light and there is laughter, there is music there is mirth.
And lovers speak as only lovers may.
Ah, there is nothing half so sweet to any land on earth,
As Christmas time in Ireland, far away!
At Christmas time in Ireland there is sorrow too for those
Who scattered far in exile sadly stray
And many a tear in silence for a friend beloved falls
At Christmas time in Ireland far away.
But still amid the grieving is a hope to banish fears.
That God will safely send them back some day.
To know again the happiness that long ago was theirs.
At Christmas time in Ireland far away.
Denis A. McCarthy
The Burren and Beyond 