The Irish standard., 1914-05-02
The Racing Of Finn MecooI.

NA"~ "Ss "a ~ u6AeT OUJeCI WAS seen
on farmers place;
He was lanky and tall and bony, with
head like a tinker's mule,
And he had such a style of steppin'
that we christened him Finn
.M'Cool.
But never a word said Martin Cts he
Is the KNOWN one).
He foddered the colt all winther and
canthered him here and yon,
So a feather could knock me over
when I heard one day in the town
That Finn M'Cool had been entered
for the races of Punchestown.
Takin' dhrop to brace me / started
into Maynooth. - ~
But twenty were there before mesanx-
ious to know the truth.
And there sat deludherin' Martin.
jokin' and playin' the fool,
Tellin' stories of this and that, but
nothin' of Finn M'Cool
'Ttppin' myself wink to stay, he
soon got rid of the lot
When the missis came in to tell him
to come while his tay was hot;
OF course cup was there for myself
and plateful of pancakes brown,
But what did I care for atm with my
mind upon Punchestown?
Then Martin told me the pedigree Of
the grandsires both of Finn,
Though he was a base descendant of
all his famous kin;
THE horse has his points," said Mar
tin, though he runs like span.
chelled clown,
And he stands to make me or break
me at the races of Punchestown."
Don't talk of a month of. waitin' till
every cent that you own
Is set on an ordinary animal that's
skin where he isn't bone;
l dhreamed Of him night and mornin',
till my wife says, Michael
O'Toole,
IT'S below in Carlow asylum you'll
finish with Finn McCool."
At last the day or the races came;
Martin, myself and the horse,
With Davy Lacey to ride him, were
early upon the course.
How much against Finn McCool?"
says l, and the bookie says with
a grin,
Twenty to one, and the fun you'll
have of SEEM tho others win"
And, faith. I could never blame him
when l saw the horses in line
Leap out like shells from mortar
when the starter flung out the
sign,
And laggin' along behind them went
Finn McCool at a pace
That would shame any dacint donkey
on show at the fair at Mas.
go on. We devil, go ont" yelled; Ego
at it and shake your feet,
Or, by all the Fenians in Tir-nan-Oge,
I'll kill We the hour you're beat!"
And there stood Martin McDermott,
cursin' him dead and blind,
With the crowd all laughin' and yell
in,
'Arrah! look at the one behind"
And he heard us, by all the gods of
war, for he jumped like fright
ened deer,
And darted off with Lacey, the jock,
jig-sawin' from tail to ear.
Rearin' and tearin' and snortin' he
GATHERED past horse and horse,
While ye'd think the bottom of HI
was out, with the yellin' upon the
course.
With his big feet thrashin' like paddle
wheels, and his tail like jury
mast,
He went over hurdle and double ditch
till the first of the field was past.
He's winnin'! he's winnin'!" heard,
and then, Take that" says l,
from O'Toole,"
AS flung my hat in the booklets face
that was laughin' at Finn M'Cool.
Winner! OF course he was winner,
with the people all goin' wild,
And Martin M'Dermott by me sobbin'
like a child.
Sure the omadhawn doesn't know
when to STOP" cried Kelly, the
vet from Clane,
For havin' near leap't through the
judges box, Finn breasted the
hill again.
Well, we followed him to the paddock
where the horses were weighin'
in,
And divil hair was turned on the
hide of that warrior, Finn;
Aa coo1 as his mighty namasako that