Star of the County Down
Rosheen Lyrics
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One evening last July
Down a bóithrín green came a sweet cailín
And she smiled as she passed me by.
She looked so neat in her two bare feet
To the sheen of her nut-brown hair
Such a coaxing elf, I'd to shake myself
To make sure I was standing there.
From Bantry Bay down to Derry Quay
From Galway to Dublin town
No maid I've seen like the fair cailín
That I met in the County Down.
As she onward sped I shook my head
And I gazed with a feeling queer
And I said, says I, to a passerby
"Who's your one with the nut-brown hair?"
He smiled at me, and with pride says he,
"She's the gem of old Ireland's crown.
Young Rosie McCann from the banks of the Bann
And the star of the County Down."
From Bantry Bay down to Derry Quay
From Galway to Dublin town
No maid I've seen like the fair cailín
That I met in the County Down.
She'd a soft brown eye and
a look so sly and a smile like the rose in June
And you held each note from her auburn throat,
as she lilted lamenting tunes
At the pattern dance you'd be in trance
as she skipped through a jig or reel
When her eyes she'd roll, as she'd lift soul
And your heart she would likely steal
From Bantry Bay down to Derry Quay
From Galway to Dublin town
No maid I've seen like the fair cailín
That I met in the County Down.
At the harvest fair she'll be surely there
and I'll dress my Sunday clothes
With my hat cocked right and my shoes shon bright
for a smile from the nut-brown Rose
No horse I'll yoke, or pipe I smoke,
'til the rust in my plough turn brown
And a smiling bride by my own fireside
sits the star of the County Down
From Bantry Bay down to Derry Quay
From Galway to Dublin town
No maid I've seen like the fair cailín
That I met in the County Down.
She'd a soft brown eye and
a look so sly and a smile like the rose in June
And you held each note from her auburn throat,
as she lilted lamenting tunes
At the pattern dance you'd be in trance
as she skipped through a jig or reel
When her eyes she'd roll, as she'd lift soul
And your heart she would likely steal
From Bantry Bay down to Derry Quay
From Galway to Dublin town
No maid I've seen like the fair cailín
That I met in the County Down.
Near Banbridge town, in the County Down
One evening last July
Down a bóithrín green came a sweet cailín
And she smiled as she passed me by.
She looked so neat in her two bare feet
To the sheen of her nut-brown hair
Such a coaxing elf, I'd to shake myself
To make sure I was standing there.
From Bantry Bay down to Derry Quay
From Galway to Dublin town
No maid I've seen like the fair cailín
That I met in the County Down.
From Bantry Bay down to Derry Quay
From Galway to Dublin town
No maid I've seen like the fair cailín
That I met in the County Down.
From Bantry Bay down to Derry Quay
From Galway to Dublin town
No maid I've seen like the fair cailín
That I met in the County Down.
The song "Star of the County Down" begins with a description of an encounter between the singer and a beautiful young girl in the County Down. The girl is described as having "nut-brown hair" and "soft brown eyes," and the singer is immediately taken by her. He comments to a passerby about the girl's beauty and is told that she is "Young Rosie McCann from the banks of the Bann and the star of the County Down."
The song then goes on to describe the singer's infatuation with Rosie and his determination to win her over. He imagines dressing up for the harvest fair in the hopes of catching her eye and even vows not to smoke his pipe or work his plough until he has won her heart. Throughout the song, Rosie is described as a captivating and charismatic figure, with the ability to enchant those around her with her music and dance.
Line by Line Meaning
Near Banbridge town, in the County Down
One day, in the County Down, near Banbridge town
One evening last July
One July evening
Down a bóithrín green came a sweet cailín
A charming girl came down a green road
And she smiled as she passed me by.
She smiled at me as she walked by
She looked so neat in her two bare feet
She looked very tidy with her bare feet
To the sheen of her nut-brown hair
Her hair was shining, nut-brown in color
Such a coaxing elf, I'd to shake myself
She was so charming that I had to make sure I wasn't dreaming
To make sure I was standing there.
To make sure that I was really there, not just in my imagination
From Bantry Bay down to Derry Quay
From Bantry Bay to Derry Quay
From Galway to Dublin town
From Galway to Dublin
No maid I've seen like the fair cailín
I've never seen a girl like her
That I met in the County Down.
Whom I met in the County Down
As she onward sped I shook my head
As she walked away, I shook my head in disbelief
And I gazed with a feeling queer
I looked at her with a strange feeling
And I said, says I, to a passerby
I said to someone passing by
"Who's your one with the nut-brown hair?"
"Who is the girl with the nut-brown hair?"
He smiled at me, and with pride says he,
He smiled at me and proudly replied
"She's the gem of old Ireland's crown.
"She is the pride of Ireland
Young Rosie McCann from the banks of the Bann
Her name is Rosie McCann and she is from the banks of the Bann River
And the star of the County Down."
She is also known as the Star of the County Down
She'd a soft brown eye and
a look so sly and a smile like the rose in June
She had a soft brown eye, a sly look, and a smile as beautiful as a rose in June
And you held each note from her auburn throat,
as she lilted lamenting tunes
As she sang sad songs, you listened carefully to each note from her reddish-brown throat
At the pattern dance you'd be in trance
as she skipped through a jig or reel
At the dance, you would be mesmerized as she skipped through jigs and reels
When her eyes she'd roll, as she'd lift soul
And your heart she would likely steal
When she rolled her eyes and sang soulful songs, she could easily steal your heart
At the harvest fair she'll be surely there
and I'll dress my Sunday clothes
At the harvest fair, she'll definitely be there, and I'll wear my best clothes
With my hat cocked right and my shoes shon bright
for a smile from the nut-brown Rose
I'll wear my hat tilted just right, and my shoes polished to please her
No horse I'll yoke, or pipe I smoke,
'til the rust in my plough turn brown
I'll focus solely on her and won't engage in any other activities until the rust in my plow turns brown
And a smiling bride by my own fireside
sits the star of the County Down
Finally, someday I'll be married to the Star of the County Down and she will sit beside me by our own hearth
Writer(s): Traditional, Damien Leo Leith
Contributed by Adalyn V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.