As I was going to the fair in Dingle
One fine morning last July,
On the road I saw before me
A red-haired maiden passing by.
"Come ride with me, my red-haired maiden.
My donkey can carry two."
She looked at me, her eyes a-twinkling
And her cheeks a rosy hue
Keep your hands off red-haired Mary
Her and I will soon be wed
We'll see the priest this very morning
Tonight we'll lie in a marriage bed.
When we reached the town of Dingle
I took her hand to say good-bye
A tinker, he walked up behind me
And punched me hard in my left eye.
I was feeling kind of peevish
And my left eye was sad and sore
I rapped him gently with my hobnail,
And he flew back to Murphy's door
Keep your hands off red-haired Mary
Her and I will soon be wed
We'll see the priest this very morning
Tonight we'll lie in a marriage bed.
He ran off to find his brothers
Larger men I ne'er did see
They rapped me gently with their knuckles
And I was minus two front teeth
And then a peeler came round the corner
He said, "Son you done broke the law."
When my donkey kicked him in the kneecaps
He fell down and broke his jaw.
Keep your hands off red-haired Mary
Her and I will soon be wed
We'll see the priest this very morning
Tonight we'll lie in a marriage bed.
The red-haired maiden just stood there smiling
"I'll come with you, young man," she said.
"We'll skip the priest this very morning,
Tonight we'll lie in Murphy's shed!"
Keep your hands off red-haired Mary
Her and I will soon be wed
We'll skip the priest this very morning,
Tonight we'll lie in Murphy's shed!
Keep your hands off red-haired Mary
Her and I will soon be wed
Skip the priest this very morning,
Tonight we'll lie in Murphy's shed!