Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, FINNEEN O'DRISCOLL THE ROVER, by ROBERT DWYER JOYCE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

FINNEEN O'DRISCOLL THE ROVER, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: An old castle towers o'er the billows
Last Line: And smile like the sun on the sea!
Subject(s): O'driscoll, Finneen (16th Century)


AN old castle towers o'er the billows
That thunder by Cleena's green land,
And there dwelt as gallant a rover
As ever grasped hilt in the hand;
Eight stately towers of the waters
Lie anchored in Baltimore Bay;
And over their twenty score sailors
Bold Finneen the Rover holds sway.
Then O, for Finneen the Rover,
Finneen O'Driscoll the free,
As straight as the mast of his galley,
And strong as a wave of the sea!

The Saxons of Cork and Moyallo,
They harried his coasts with their bands;
He gave them a taste of his cannon
And drove them like wolves from his lands;
The men of Clan London brought over
Their strong fleet to make him a slave;
He met them on Mizen's rough breakers,
And the sharks crunched their bones 'neath the wave.
Then O, for Finneen the Rover,
Finneen O'Driscoll the free,
With step like the red stag of Beara,
And voice like the bold sounding sea!

Long time in that strong island castle,
Or out on the waves with his clan,
He feasted and ventured and conquered,
But ne'er struck his colours to man.
In a fight 'gainst the foes of his country
He died as a brave man should die;
And he sleeps 'neath the waters of Cleena,
Where the waves sing his keen to the sky.
Then O, for Finneen the Rover,
Finneen O'Driscoll the free,
With eye like the osprey's at morning,
And smile like the sun on the sea!





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