Val Doonican
Lyric guide

Delaneys Donkey

Read Delaneys Donkey lyrics by Val Doonican on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

Val Doonican visibility3 visits Video on page
person Curated by Ethan Walker LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot

The page facts to cite before the commentary

Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.

Page type: lyric reference Artist: Val Doonican Canonical path: /val-doonican/delaneys-donkey Related lyric paths: 5 Video embedded: yes
Lyrics

Delaneys Donkey

The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.

Now Delaney had a donkey that everyone admired

Temporarily lazy and permanently tired

A leg at every corner balancing his head

And a tail to let you know which end he wanted to be fed

Riley slyly said we`ve underrated it, why not train it, then they took a rag

They rubbed it, scrubbed it, they oiled and embrocated it

Got it at the post and when the starter dropped the flag

There was Riley pushin` it, shovin` it, shushin` it

Hogan, Logan and everyone in town

Lined up, attackin` it and shovin` it and smackin` it

They might as well have tried to push the Town Hall down

The donkey was eyein` them, openly defyin` them

Winkin`, blinkin` and twistin` out of place

Riley reversin` it, everybody cursin` it

The day Delaney`s donkey ran the halfmile race

The muscles of the mighty never known to flinch

They couldn`t move the donkey a quarter of an inch

Delaney lay exhausted, hangin` round his throat

With a grip just like a Scotsman on the five pound note

Starter, Carter, he lined up with the rest of them

When it saw them, it was willin` then

It raced up, braced up, ready for the best of them

They started off to cheer it but it changed its mind again

And there was Riley pushin` it, shovin` it, shushin` it

Hogan, Logan and Mary Ann Macgraw

She started pokin` it an` grabbin` it an` chokin` it

It kicked her in the bustle and it laughed hee-hah

The whigs and conservatives, the radical superlatives

Liberals and tories, they hurried to the place

Stood there in unity, helpin` the community

The day Delaney`s donkey ran the halfmile race

The crowd began to cheer it, then Rafferty, the judge

He came up to assist them, but still it wouldn`t bud

Quick answers

What this page can answer fast

Who performs "Delaneys Donkey"?

Val Doonican performs "Delaneys Donkey", and this lyric page sits inside the Val Doonican catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "Delaneys Donkey"?

Yes. The related section below points to Mysterious People and Paddy Mcgintys Goat with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by Val Doonican?

Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Val Doonican's lyric pages.

Song Room

Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song

Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.

Open Song Room
0 followers Selected insights only surface after moderation
Listener comments

What people are saying

0 comments
Add a short interpretation or memory

A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.

Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.

No listener comments on Delaneys Donkey yet.