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Written by Finbar Furey with guitar chords by Marc Fahrbach, the tune was borrowed from the Padraig Pearse marching song 'Óró sé do Bheatha Abhaile'. A song of emigration to find work and leave the land behind. Alas the story in the song has come back again to haunt the Irish.
Oro, oro
by Finbar Furey
( Chorus
Oro, oro,
oro Abhaile Michael
O Ro Se do Bheatha A bhaile
But find us bloody work there )
From Donegal to the County Kerry,
From Belfast City to the hills of Derry
We come from Clare, from Meath and Mayo
To work across the ocean
Chorus
I see Rossleare and the Wexford Harbor
The Waterford coast with the fishing trawler
We crossed Kildare right through to Carlow
To work across the ocean
Chorus
I'm tired of leaving the hills of Galway
I'm fed up with sailing away from Dublin
We just left Limerick and Cork behind us
To work across the ocean
Chorus
I'm tired of the tears from me mother Katie
I'm fed up with leaving my sister Mary
And my father sayin, "Take it nice and easy.
When workin' across the ocean
Chorus
We don't need the pity of the politicians
With their crocodile tears and useless petitions
Just give us some work with suitable positions
Stop the exodus across the ocean
Chorus twice
Oro, oro,
oro Abhaile Michael
O Ro Se do Bheatha A bhaile
But find us bloody work there )
From Donegal to the County Kerry,
From Belfast City to the hills of Derry
We come from Clare, from Meath and Mayo
To work across the ocean
Chorus
I see Rossleare and the Wexford Harbor
The Waterford coast with the fishing trawler
We crossed Kildare right through to Carlow
To work across the ocean
Chorus
I'm tired of leaving the hills of Galway
I'm fed up with sailing away from Dublin
We just left Limerick and Cork behind us
To work across the ocean
Chorus
I'm tired of the tears from me mother Katie
I'm fed up with leaving my sister Mary
And my father sayin, "Take it nice and easy.
When workin' across the ocean
Chorus
We don't need the pity of the politicians
With their crocodile tears and useless petitions
Just give us some work with suitable positions
Stop the exodus across the ocean
Chorus twice