Parknasilla
We met In Gods pocket,
On a twist on the road to Sneem
Two children playing in paradise
Skipping in a childlike dream
To have landed down in the kingdom
In Parknasilla by the sea
So many summers and moons ago
Becoming part of our history.
We played amongst the Islands
Timber bridges link them in a chain
Among the groves of Myrtle
In the soft Kerry rain.
A rainbow hung above us
As I blew her my first little kiss
How precious these simple things
That when I left how much I missed.
We met again the Summer next
On a walk called Glash na Chroí
Her beauty all the more lovely
Than I harbored in my memory
We played golf in a piece of heaven
We swam, dived in off the pier
The hotel majestic as ever, with values
I thought had all but disappeared.
Tom Doyle he welcomed us warmly
Like old friends returned to roost
And Sonny said how well we looked
To give our egos a boost
Jackie he found us a table
With a view over islands and sea
And mountains and sunsets to die for
To embellish our memory.
The girl that I met down in Kerry
In the warm summers of long long ago
Is now the mother of my children
And to Parknasilla we still go
To walk and talk of the memories
And smile at our children at play
Enjoying searching for fairies
Or walking bits of the Kerry way.
Enjoying the beauty around them
The islands that pepper the sea
And the views of Beara and Tousist
And the reeks of Macgillacuddy
The beauty and magic of Derrynane
The pubs of colourful Sneem
The winding roads to Kerry
Unfolding like a mystical dream
That they will carry with them forever
When in city’s far away they toil
And their memory will spark such feelings
And bring to their faces a smile .
Of holidays that were so, so special
Full of adventures and friends we met on the way
So thank you for making us welcome
And making so precious our stay .
You beauty around you is ageless
The welcoming baton is passed
But the spirit you find in Parknasilla
Are memories that forever will last .
By Tim Buckley.
