It was Christmas Eve that day

In the food bank

A Ukrainian said to me

..we wont see another one.

And then he sang a song

Unfamiliar to me or you.

I turned my face away

He took his plate of food

He was a lucky one

Came to Ireland on day one

His people left reeling

Some tears from me and you.

So happy Christmas

love to Ukrania

You’ll see a better time

With flags of yellow and blue.

They’ve got tanks from the yanks

They’ve got missiles of old

But Russians plough through them

Buildings crumble and fold.

When I first saw that family

That cold Christmas eve

They said they were lucky

To be in Mullingar with me.

He was handsome

she was pretty

Said: Kiev is their city

When the news finished playing

They cried out “no war”

Zelensky was winning

All the Mums they were crying

Kids killed on the corner

On that terrible night.

You’re no bum

You’re no punk

You’re not even drunk

Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed

You’re tortured, you’re bedraggled

With the weapons you haggled

Happy Christmas my friend

I pray God it’s the end

And the boys of the Mullingar Choir

Were still singing Galway Bay

And the bells were ringing out

That Christmas Day

Dedicated to the late great Shane McGowan – and to all against war.