Verse 1
In a village down in County Cork
Where the river met the road
Stood O’Reilly’s Forge since ninety-eight
Beneath the winter cold
Old Paddy built its reputation
With skill and honest trade
The finest work in County Cork
Was forged beneath its shade
Verse 2
Old Paddy had a single son
Named Shamus by God’s grace
A decent lad, well liked by all
With an open, honest face
He’d help a neighbour mend a fence
Or bring a stricken lamb
The sort of man you’d gladly trust
To lend a helping hand
Verse 3
By Paddy’s side he learned the trade
From dawn till setting sun
The shaping fire, the ringing steel
And how each job was done
He learned to craft a horseshoe true
And hang a gate up straight
And slowly earned the village trust
At O’Reilly’s Forge since ninety-eight
Verse 4
There was one thing that his father taught
That never quite sank in
For every now and then somehow
The hammer seemed to win
His gates stood straight, his horses shod
His workmanship was sound
Yet every few weeks from O’Reilly’s Forge
A familiar cry rang round
Verse 5
Old Mick would smile and shake his head
And Father Flynn would grin
“Sounds like Shamus found his thumb
Before he found the pin.”
The whole village knew the sound by now
And every man agreed
That Shamus was the finest smith
They were ever likely to need
Verse 6
When thumb and hammer disagreed
Beyond what he could bear
He’d make the walk to Molly’s place
Just down the village square
Nurse Molly Murphy knew him well
And knew what brought him through
She’d smile and say, “The thumb again?”
He’d sigh, “Aye Molly, true.”
Verse 7
Old Mick declared, “I’ve said for years
There’s more to this than pain.”
And Father Flynn just raised a brow
And gazed out through the rain
“For every time that thumb flares up
And needs a bandage new
It somehow finds its way to where
Nurse Molly’s working too.”
Verse 8
“Now really, Shamus,” Molly said,
“You must take greater care.”
While gently wrapping up the thumb
That brought him sitting there
A blacksmith known throughout the county
For workmanship so true
Could somehow forge a perfect gate
Yet not speak straight to you
Verse 9
One afternoon as Shamus left
With bandages anew
Nurse Molly said, “Now mind yourself,
I’ve enough to do with you.”
He carried those few simple words
The whole way back from town
And smiled so much that afternoon
The hammer stayed right down
Verse 10
That evening in the village pub
Old Mick looked up and smiled
“It’s mighty quiet at the forge,”
He said after a while
Father Flynn just sipped his stout
And nodded as men do
“His thumb behaves remarkably well
When Molly sees him through.”
Verse 11
One morning Molly smiled and said,
“Now tell me if it’s true,
That thumb of yours appears more often
Than half the village do.”
She laughed and wrapped another bandage
As Shamus blushed bright red
Then somehow all the words he knew
Got tangled in his head
Verse 12
Old Mick saw Molly laughing there
Outside the surgery door
And by the time he’d reached the pub
It had become much more
By supper time the village folk
Were certain through and through
That Molly liked young Shamus more
Than either of them knew
Verse 13
One day Molly watched him mend
An old widow’s broken gate
He worked till nearly darkness fell
Though it had grown quite late
He took no coin, he tipped his cap
And headed quietly through
And Molly found herself that night
Thinking of Shamus too
Final Verse
The forge still stands in County Cork
Where the river meets the road
And Shamus still turns iron to art
As his father once had showed
Above the bench there hangs a sign
For everyone to see
O’Reilly’s Forge — since 1898
And now Nurse Molly Murphy too
Lyrics Michael Forty
Voice Michael Forty