The Galway Football at the Polo Grounds

The Galway Football at the Polo Grounds

They beat the men of Dublin;

They beat the Kerry team

And then they tried to reach the fame

Enough for a King or Queen,

We’re proud of the land that bore them

From Dunmore to Moylough

The Galway team that played so well

At the Polo Grounds New York.

Soon after they had started

Out in the aeroplane

They were forced back right back to Shannon

‘Course Seán Purcell gave way the game.

Soon again all things were ready

And with speed beyond all bounds

They flew right on ‘till they came o’er

The Pitch called the “The Polo Grounds.”

As they flew o’er the city

Oh! what a terrific sight

And people in the streets cried out

“Hey look at the satellite”.

From this our team got courage

And each man his mind made up

We’ll not return to Ireland

‘Till we’ve won St Brendan’s Cup.”

The morning of the great dawned

A Winter’s morning too

Each man with joy left his bed

And shook off the “Asian flu.”!!

“Now boys”, says Jack “get ready

We have a task in hand

So pick up strength and courage

With the music of the band.”

You may think the team were nervous

Perhaps they thought to be

But though they travelled miles and miles

Across the deep blue sea.

Those Galway lads were happy

And let their exiles see

That they could play some football

Worth seeing by you and me.

From the early stages of the game

New York were very rough

But Galway soon put a stop to that

‘Cause Irish men are tough.

But two men in particular

Thrilled the exile friends

Seán Purcell and Frank Stockwell

Now known as “The Tuam-Star Twins.”

Those Tuam-Stars were the leadin’ men

The  Ballygar men played well too

And let’s not forget the fair-lad

Two miles beyond Cooloo.

The teachers and the guards combined

Played football, Oh! so grand

And New York said, “they sure can play

Though in a foreign land”.

Those Yankies did their very best

And put up a terrific fight

But Purcell never played so well

Since first he wore Maroon and White

So ‘twas just no use in trying

To beat these Galway giants

And when the final scores were read

They’d won by a margin of five points.

The team are now on their way back home

So we’ll just have to wait and wait

But it’s very little we can do

While we are inside the Mercy gates!

With joy the team left New York soil

And set out for the native land

And to greet them when they do arrive

Will be the famous “Tuam Brass Band.”