Donegal Danny I remember the night that he came in From the wintry cold and damp A giant of a man in an oilskin coat And the bundle that told he was a tramp He stood at the bar and he called a pint Then turned and gazed at the fire On a night like this to be safe and dry Is my one and only desire
So here's to those that are dead and gone The friends that I loved dear And here's to you then I'll bid you adieu Saying Donegal Danny's been here me boys Donegal Danny's been here
Then in a voice that was hushed and low He said: Listen I'll tell you a tale How a man of the sea became a man of the roads And never more will set sail I've fished out of Howth and Killybegs Ardglass and Baltimore But the cruel sea has beaten me And I'll end my days on the shore
So here's to those that are dead and gone The friends that I loved dear And here's to you then I'll bid you adieu Saying Donegal Danny's been here me boys Donegal Danny's been here
One fateful night in the wind and the rain We set sail from Killybegs town There were five of us from sweet Donegal And one from County Down We were fishermen who worked the sea And never counted the cost But I never thought ere that night was done That my fine friends would all be lost
So here's to those that are dead and gone The friends that I loved dear And here's to you then I'll bid you adieu Saying Donegal Danny's been here me boys Donegal Danny's been here
Then the storm it broke and drove the boat
To the rocks about ten miles from shore As we fought the tide we hoped inside To see our homes once more Then we struck a rock and holed the bow And all of us knew that she'd go down So we jumped right into the icy sea And prayed to God we wouldn't drown
But the raging sea was rising still As we struck out for the land And she fought with all her cruelty To claim that gallant band By St John's Point in the early dawn I dragged myself on the shore And I cursed the sea for what she'd done And vowed to sail her never more
So here's to those that are dead and gone The friends that I loved dear And here's to you then I'll bid you adieu Saying Donegal Danny's been here me boys Donegal Danny's been here
Ever since that night I've been on the road Travelling and trying to forget That awful night I lost all my friends I see their faces yet And often at night when the sea is high And the rain is tearing at my skin I hear the cries of drowning men Floating over on the wind
So here's to those that are dead and gone The friends that I loved dear And here's to you then I'll bid you adieu Saying Donegal Danny's been here me boys Donegal Danny's been here
So here's to those that are dead and gone The friends that I loved dear And here's to you then I'll bid you adieu Saying Donegal Danny's been here me boys Donegal Danny's been here