Oh gather up your pots and your old tin cans,
The mash, the corn, and the barley and the bran;
Run like the devil from the excise man,
Keep the smoke from rising, Barney.
Keep your eyes well peeled today,
The excise men are on their way,
Searching for the mountain tae,
In the hills of Connemara.
Gather up your pots and your old tin cans,
The mash, the corn, and the barley and the bran;
Run like the devil from the excise man,
Keep the smoke from rising, Barney.
A kettle to the butcher and a quart for John,
A bottle for dear old Father Tom,
To help the poor old dear along,
In the hills of Connemara.
Gather up your pots and your old tin cans,
The mash, the corn, and the barley and the bran;
Run like the devil from the excise man,
Keep the smoke from rising, Barney.
Stand your ground for it's too late,
The excise men are at the gate;
Glory be to Paddy, they're drinking it straight,
In the hills of Connemara.
Gather up your pots and your old tin cans,
The mash, the corn, and the barley and the bran;
Run like the devil from the excise man,
Keep the smoke from rising, Barney.
Swing to the left and swing to the right,
The excise men will dance all night,
Drinkin' up the tae till the broad daylight,
In the hills of Connemara.
Gather up your pots and your old tin cans,
The mash, the corn, and the barley and the bran;
Run like the devil from the excise man,
Keep the smoke from rising, Barney.
Gather up your pots and your old tin cans,
The mash, the corn, and the barley and the bran;
Run like the devil from the excise man,
Keep the smoke from rising, Barney.
####.... Séan McCarthy of Lostowel, County Kerry, Ireland, songwriter, singer, poet, and radio host [1923-1990] ....####
Séan McCarthy recorded his original song as Mountain Tae on his CD The Wandering Man, first released in 1970 by EMI and re-released in 2002 by EMI, The Shamrock Series.
Note: Connemara is the name given to the western portion of County Galway, Ireland, which lies between Lough Corrib and the Atlantic. The name Connemara was originally Conmaicnemara, or the tribe of Cormac by the sea, and was given to the area by ancient Gaelic tribes. It was shortened in the 18th century to Connemara.
The YouTube video above features a recording from a compilation album of local Fortune Bay Musicians published by English Harbour West and distributed by the English Harbour West Lions Club to raise funds for a new ambulance in aid of health services in the Fortune Bay North area (Tribute To The Lady Anderson, trk#11, 2002 CD, SWC Productions, English Harbour West, NL, recorded at Sim's Studio, Belleoram, NL). Performing artists included: vocals - Gordon Caines, Max Taylor, John Snook, Bruce Vallis, Cyril Brown, Steve Sheppard, Cyril Piercey, George Sutton, Joe Drake, John Drake, Marion Fiander, Gord Drake, Mark Courtney, Conrad Williams, Dwight Williams, Allan Bambury; guitar - Jim Hardy, George Sutton; accordion - Steve Sheppard, Gerald Stoodley, Sim Savory, Allan Bambury; with additional music by Sim Savory on keyboard and Cyril Brown on bass guitar.
A variant was recorded by Connemara [1992-1997] (The River, trk#1, 1993, Piper Stock Productions, Torbay, NL, produced by Dermot O'Reilly).
