It seems like only yesterday
I sailed from out of Cork
A wanderer from Erin's isle
I landed in New York
There wasn't a soul to greet me there
A stranger on your shore
But Irish luck was with me here
And riches came galore
And now that I'm going back again
To dear old Erin's isle
My friends will meet me on the pier
And greet me with a smile
Their faces sure I've almost forgot
I've been so long away
But me mother will introduce them all
And this to me will say
Shake hands with your Uncle Mike me boy
And here is your sister Kate
And there's the girl you used to swing
Down by the garden gate
Shake hands with all of the neighbours
And kiss the colleens all
You're as welcome as the flowers in May
To dear old Donnegal
They'll give a party when I go home
They'll come from near and far
They'll line the roads for miles and miles
With Irish jauntin' cars
The spirits'll flow and we'll be gay
We'll fill your hearts with joy
The piper'll play an Irish reel
To greet the Yankee boy
We'll dance and sing the whole night long
Such fun as never seen
The lads'll be decked in corduroy
The colleens wearin' green
There'll be thousands there that I never saw
I've been so long away
But me mother will introduce them all
And this to me will say
Shake hands with your Uncle Mike me boy
And here is your sister Kate
And there's the girl you used to swing
Down by the garden gate
Shake hands with all of the neighbours
And kiss the colleens all
You're as welcome as the flowers in May
To dear old Donnegal
Meet Branigan Fannigan Milligan Gilligan
Duffy McCuffy Malachy Mahone
Rafferty Lafferty Donnelly Connelly
Dooley O'Hooley Muldowney Malone
Madigan Cadigan Lanihan Flanihan
Fagan O'Hagan O'Hoolihan Flynn
Shanihan Manihan Fogarty Hogarty
Kelly O'Kelly McGuinness McGuinn
Shake hands with your Uncle Mike me boy
And here is your sister Kate
And there's the girl you used to swing
Down by the garden gate
Shake hands with all of the neighbours
And kiss the colleens all
You're as welcome as the flowers in May
To dear old Donnegal