We were up bright and early before the crowing of the cock

on the road for Dublin before the hour of four o clock. 

Heading for the Airport to catch a flight to Spain

to get away from Ireland and all this bloody rain.

 

We parked up in a carpark and got a shuttle bus 

that took us to the airport without any fuss.

We passed out through security and got on board a plane

it went speeding down the runway faster than a train.

 

Suddenly the G force pushed me back into my seat 

we were doing 500 miles pre hour at 40,000 feet.

We landed on the tarmac out in sunny Spain 

and when they opened the doors it was spilling bloody rain

 

I hailed down a taxi to take us to our place 

he drove on the wrong side of the road at a deadly pace.

As he went around the roundabout I gripped my seat with fear

and muttered an act of contrition sure I thought the end was near.

 

I asked him about the weather and I thought the man was dumb

sure he didn’t understand a word when I asked where was the sun.

But his driving it was dangerous and there were nothing I could do

but Jesus I was quare relived when we pulled up in Salou.

 

We reached our destination for the holiday of the year 

unpacked our suitcases and the rest of all our gear.

And the sun shone down upon us to give us all a tan 

and when we got too warm into the swimming pool we ran.

 

I went for a walk along the golden sand 

I saw some fine young ladies with their lushes bodies tanned

then I saw a group of ould wans showing off their saggy boobs

it was like looking in a scrap yard at worn out tyres with busted tubes 

 

I continued to walk all about the place 

I saw people of every colour and from every human race.

Then I heard a voice say, Damian, is that you really?

 when I looked around it was Kenneth Conroy from Kiltealy.

(Well we had a conversation like after mass in Caim 

only we were on our holidays off in sunny Spain)

 

I went back to my mobile and sat down at the fan 

and looking through my window was Paddy Kearns from Killanne.

He was there with wife and family to catch some rays of sun

sure I knew when I saw him we were bound to have some fun.

 

Our three families got together almost every day 

we lazed on sun loungers as the children went off to play.

The boys excelled at soccer and beat team of great renown

the Belgians or the Germans couldn’t keep the Irish down.

 

The girls swam like mermaids about the swimming pools 

and came down the slides head first which was against the rules.

I can still see Mary coming down the slide 

just before she hit the water her eyes and mouth she opened wide.

 

At night we’d have a party at the setting of the sun 

and everyone enjoyed themselves and the crack was 91.

People from other countries looked out at Irish Hooley

2000 miles away from home in a place that’s called Sangooli.

                                                                     Damian Cullen, 

July 2014