[Music: KF, JF Words: KF]
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In a time of myth and magic,
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lived a man of timeless power,
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Lir was his name,
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but his temper had turned sour.
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He would not be king of the land,
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Bov Dearg was chosen instead.
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Lir would pay no tribute to him,
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And secretly wished he was dead.
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Alas with time Lir's wife did lie,
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and he was full of great sadness,
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Dearg heard this and sent word to Lir,
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to meet with him in his palace.
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When they met they both embraced,
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Their friendship was made then.
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Dearg summoned his daughter eve,
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And told Lir he must marry again,
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Lir's love for Eve was as strong as with his first wife,
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A seed was planted, Fionnula and Aedh were born.
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But her next child birth would take away her life,
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Fiachra and Conn, from their mothers stomach were torn.
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Lir's sadness knew no bounds -
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he cried out to the night,
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Dearg was there to comfort him
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and help him see the light.
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He had 4 beautiful children
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and with time another bride,
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Eve's sister Aoife would stay loyal to his side.
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But Aiofe had a jealous side - a canker in her mind,
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She moved against the children, love for them she could not find.
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She took them in her chariot to a lake not far away.
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And changed them into swans like night time into day.
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300 years on Derravaragh, so commenced the spell,
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the children would swim to the shore, their story to tell.
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300 years on the sea of Moyle, a cruel and bitter place,
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The children missed their father here, the smile upon his face.
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In the sea of Moyle the waves did crash,
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and beat the land with might,
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The rain fell fierce and the wind blew hard,
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the swans all feared for their lives.
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Fionnula was strong and wisest of all,
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And guarded her brothers from strife.
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Under her wings they hid from night,
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And waited for the morning light.
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Finally the day did come,
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to leave this terrible sea,
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300 more years to live as swans,
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then they at last would be free.
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To Inish Gluaire the swans did fly,
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As fast as they could go.
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New lands and kingdoms everywhere -
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Fionnula did see down below.
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There they waited, till at last the day did dawn,
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The spell was ending,
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they felt themselves transform.
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They were now ancient,
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their youth was gone forever,
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And as they died,
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they held hands and went together.
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Children Of Lir
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Cruachan |