Lyrics and Chords

Star of the County Down

The lyrics to the Star of the County Down tell the story of a young man who falls for the charms of a young Irish peasant girl he happens to meet on a country lane.

Information on Star of the County Down

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Each verse has eight lines divided into two sections. The lyrics maintain a tight pattern with an internal rhyme in the first, third, fifth and seventh lines. The second and fourth lines rhyme with each other, as do the sixth and eighth lines.

The repeating rhyming pattern gives the lyrics a very tight structure, making it easier for the singer to remember what comes next.

Star of the County Down lyrics and chords

Em 

Near to Banbridge town, in the  

G 

County 

 

 

D 

Down

 

One  

Em 

morning in Ju

D 

ly

 

Down a  

Em 

boreen 

 

 

D 

green came a  

G 

sweet 

 

coll

D 

een

 

And she  

Em 

smiled as she  

Am 

passed me  

Em 

by.

 

She  

G 

looked so sweet from her  

D 

two bare feet

 

To the  

Em 

sheen of her nut brown  

D 

hair

 

Such a  

Em 

coaxing elf, I had to  

G 

shake 

 

my

D 

self

 

To make  

Em 

sure I was  

Am 

standing 

 

 

Em 

there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chorus

 

From  

G 

Bantry Bay up to  

D 

Derry 

 

Quay

 

And from  

Em 

Galway to Dublin  

D 

town

 

No  

Em 

maid I’ve seen like the  

G 

sweet 

 

col

D 

leen,

 

She’s the  

Em 

star of the  

Am 

County 

 

 

Em 

Down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Em 

As she onward sped I  

G 

shook my  

D 

head

 

And I  

Em 

gazed with a feeling  

D 

rare

 

And I  

Em 

said, says I, to a  

G 

passer

D 

by

 

“Who’s the  

Em 

maid with the  

Am 

nut-brown 

 

 

Em 

hair?”

 

He  

G 

smiled at me, and with  

D 

pride says he,

 

“That’s the  

Em 

gem of Ireland’s  

D 

crown.

 

She’s young  

Em 

Rosie McCann from the  

G 

banks of the  

D 

Bann

 

She’s the  

Em 

star of the  

Am 

County 

 

 

Em 

Down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chorus

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

I’ve  

Em 

travelled a bit, but ne

G 

ver was  

D 

hit

 

Since my  

Em 

roving career be

D 

gan

 

But fair  

Em 

and square I surrender

G 

ed 

 

th

D 

ere

 

To the  

Em 

charms of young  

Am 

Rose 

 

Mc

Em 

Cann.

 

With  

G 

a heart to let and no  

D 

tenant 

 

yet

 

Did I  

Em 

meet with in shawl or  

D 

gown

 

But in  

Em 

she went and I  

G 

asked no  

D 

rent

 

From the  

Em 

star of the  

Am 

County 

 

 

Em 

Down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chorus

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

At the  

Em 

crossroads fair I’ll be  

G 

surely 

 

 

D 

there

 

And I’ll  

Em 

dress in my Sunday  

D 

clothes

 

And I’ll  

Em 

try sheep’s eyes, and del

G 

udhering 

 

 

D 

lies

 

On the  

Em 

heart of the  

Am 

nut-brown 

 

 

Em 

rose.

 

No  

G 

pipe I’ll smoke, no horse  

D 

I’ll 

 

yoke

 

Though  

Em 

with rust my plough turns  

D 

brown

 

Till a  

Em 

smiling bride by my  

G 

own 

 

fire

D 

side

 

Sits the  

Em 

star of the  

Am 

County 

 

 

Em 

Down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chorus

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An optional addition to the lyrics

Some versions of the lyrics to the Star of the County Down contain this extra verse.

She’d a soft brown eye and a look so sly,

And a smile like the rose in June,

And you hung on each note from her lily-white throat,

As she lilted an Irish tune.

At the pattern dance you were held in a trance,

As she tripped through a reel or a jig;

And when her eyes she’d roll she’d coax, on my soul,

A spud from a hungry pig.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chorus

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Information on Star of the County Down