Lyrics and Music by Richie Kavanagh
Chorus
In our house we had no bathroom at all,
We’d go wash ourselves at the aul waterfall.
Lovely fresh water and carbolic soap,
Gallons of water flowing down a big slope.
We’d be thinning the turnips, we’d be weeding the beet,
We’d have all kinds of dust an’ clay on our feet.
Each evening at six to the river we’d go,
To were all that lovely fresh water did flow.
Chorus
In our house we had no bathroom at all,
We’d go wash ourselves at the aul waterfall.
Lovely fresh water and carbolic soap,
Gallons of water flowing down a big slope.
Me trousers an’ shirt would come off like a flash,
Then into the river I jumped with a splash.
Jacuzzis an’ showers can’t compare now at all,
With the lovely fresh water at the auld waterfall.
Chorus
In our house we had no bathroom at all,
We’d go wash ourselves at the aul waterfall.
Lovely fresh water and carbolic soap,
Gallons of water flowing down a big slope.
One day on the waterfall stones now we knelt,
T’was there now we seen Rosie all there in her pelt.
Our mammies never knew the things we found out,
Seen all the young girls swimming there all about.
Chorus
In our house we had no bathroom at all,
We’d go wash ourselves at the aul waterfall.
Lovely fresh water and carbolic soap,
Gallons of water blowing down a big slope.
The friends and companions now there that we met,
Such gallery we had there I’ll never forget.
About the Song,…..The Auld Waterfall.
I remember as young lad been all excited jumping up on my bicycle and heading for the auld waterfall.
It was the best place to go swimming we loved climbing up the rocks and jumping off into the deep clear fresh water
that flowed down from Mount Leinster. It gushed loudly as we walked and swam upstream against the current.
There was good shallow accesses as well suitable to younger children for swimming, paddling and even catching fish (well, small ones) in jam jars.