Lyrics and Music by Richie Kavanagh
William Presley came from Hacketstown, at the foot of Eagle Hill.
The stones from his house, ya’ll see them in the fields there still.
I’ll tell you now the story, so listen if you can,
And I will tell how, Elvis became a Carlow man.
His ancestor was William, Presley now ya see,
And from his native Hacketstown, this man was forced to flee.
He sailed for America, across the raging sea,
Arriving in New Orleans, then on to Tennessee.
William Great-Grandaughter, her name it was Rosella,
She had a son called Jesse, he was a grand young fella.
In nineteen thirteen, Jesse married Minnie Mae,
And their son Vernon, brings us right to the present day.
Then Vernon married Gladys Smith, in nineteen thirty three,
They never realised their son, how famous he would be.
The greatest rock and roller, sure Elvis was the King,
That little bit of Irish, maybe helped him for to sing.
About the Song,…..”How Elvis Became A Carlow Man”
The Elvis connection to Hacketstown was discovered by Carlow local Historian, Michael Purcell. Michael was later to visit America, to verify the connection.