Lyrics

I joined an Irish language class a little while ago
They tried to teach me Irish but you know I'm very slow;
A fluent Gaelic speaker I had always longed to be
But this was all the Irish they could hammer into me.

Curfá:
O, Cad é mar tá tú, how are you? Sin ceart means that's right;
Tá mé go maith, I'm very well, and oíche mhaith's good night;
Cad é an t-am is what's the time? Níl a fhios agam's I don't know;
At least that's what they taught me but you know I've very slow.

I met big Eddie McLaughlin in the street the other day;
"Cad é mar tá tú Éamann?" I merrily did say;
O he blathered away in Irish, I said I'll have to go,
"I'm very sorry, Éamann, but this is all I know."
Curfá

I faced the adjudicator at the feis in Ballymun,
He asked me twenty questions, I couldn't answer one;
He asked me this and he asked me that and in despair he cried
"Do you know any Irish at all, at all?" and proudly I replied.
Curfá

Some day soon, with the help of God and a bit of studying too,
I'll pass out for my fáinne and this is what I'll do;
I'll have a wee Irish class of my own and I'll say "Eistigí;
Fanaigí ciúin, le bhur dtoil - and say this after me."
Curfá