Flower of the Co Down (V)

In Banbridge town, in the County Down
On an evening of July
Down a lonely street came a girl so neat
And I smiled when she passed me by.
She looked so bright with a step as light
As the limp of a spring-time hare
An’ I closed my eyes in a wild surprise
To make sure I was really there.

From Scrabo Hill to Lisnadill
And from Comber to Newry town
There’s no girl so neat as the damsel sweet
She’s the Flower of the County Down.

She’d an eye as lush as a clockin’ thrush
And she flicked at her nut-brown hair
And the words I had in my mouth went mad
As I stood with me heart all square.
As she onward sped sure I shook my head
An’ sez I to a passerby
"Who's the girl so neat with the twinkling feet?"
And I waited for his reply.

From Scrabo Hill to Lisnadill
And from Comber to Newry town
There’s no girl so neat as the damsel sweet
She’s the Flower of the County Down.

To the spot next day I did make my way
And along came the lovely flower
At the charming sight me heart took flight
Like a lark at the midday hour
But I stood my ground and I quickly found
At me smile she in no ways frowned
An’ such words I said I will soon be wed
To my Flower o the County Down.

From Scrabo Hill to Lisnadill
And from Comber to Newry town
There’s no girl so neat as the damsel sweet
She’s the Flower of the County Down.
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You may know this song as “The Star of the County Down” . However this version is the authentic original which would have been familiar to the people of the area. You could get the lyrics of the later version and compare the two.