The Railway Bar
This poem was written by James McKinley of Dollingstown some forty-odd years ago when a lot of locals met regularly in the Railway Arms bar near Moira railway station.
The Railway Bar
Come all you jolly fellows and join along with me,
And if you want good company, I'll take you on a spree,
On any Saturday evening, just jump into Kidd's car,
And we'll sing a song and jog along, down to the Railway Bar.
You'll meet a bunch of fellows, who are a jolly crew,
From Trummery and the Old Church Lane and from Megaberry too,
Some go down there on bicycle and some by motor car,
While others just use Shank's mare, down' o the Railway Bar.
it's there you'll meet the Landlady, she's always to the fore,
And she always has a pleasant word as you walk through the door,
She keeps her house in order, no nonsense she'll contend,
She could pull as many bottles as half a dozen men.
You'll meet there Bobby Curran, who keeps the fire ablaze,
In company with Paddy Hull or maybe wee Jackie Mase,
You'll also see Jack Madden and sometimes wee Bob Brown,
And sometimes Austin Fulton, who comes from Lurgan town.
Then in comes bouncing big George Bell, says he, it's going to rain,
And looks at Johnny Beckett and Johnny says it again,
The next we'll see is Billy Boyce, from home he is not far,
And he'll blow about Glenavon, down in the Railway Bar.
And then there's old Bob Lavery, his age four-score and ten,
And Bob just throws them down the hatch and says, same again,
And then there's Tommy Moorhead, who's notes are heard afar,
While Cahoon will play the fiddle, down in the Railway Bar.
Now there's wee John Mulholland, good 'craic' when he gets full,
And you're always sure to get a song from the bowl, Paddy Hull,
The next you meet is Geordie Hull along with big Sam Shaw,
Ach, the 'craic' is only warming up, down in the Railway Bar.
There's Bertie Hull and Marky, who come from Trummery,
From Dollingstown they do roll down to join the company,
Dalzell, perhaps he'll sing a song, hear hear says Freddie John,
While Kidd talks about the horses, that's how the 'craic' goes on.
Now Paddy's getting noisy, no order will he keep,
Says Mrs Capper: "I'll come round the bar and throw you on the
street,"
But Paddy takes no heed of her, he sings another song,
While Cecil Crooks he goes outside to see if the rain is on.
The Chairman he calls order, the evening's going fine,
But alas it's ending far too soon for the clock is striking nine,
Come now, says Mrs Capper, as she comes round the bar,
It's closing time, you must resign, out of the Railway Bar.
James McKinley
