Bringing Home the Hay | Memories of Irish Country Life

Bringing Home the Hay is a warm nostalgic Irish folk song about haymaking, summer work, neighbours helping neighbours, and the long evenings of old rural Ireland. Before modern machinery did most of the work, bringing in the hay could involve the whole family and half the parish. It was hard work, but it was also laughter, stories, and shared effort. If you remember haymaking, leave a comment and tell me what job you used to do. Lyrics: [Verse 1] The sky stayed clear that morning So every hand was called The meadow shone like yellow gold Beyond the old stone wall My father drove the tractor My uncle built the load And children ran behind them All along the dusty road [Chorus] We were bringing home the hay Before the weather turned Every hand upon the meadow Every shoulder earned There was tea beside the hedges And laughter all the day Half the parish worked together Bringing home the hay [Verse 2] No one asked for payment You'd help them when their turn came round One farm helped another Till every field was sound At sunset we were filthy Our hands were cut and sore But supper never tasted Quite that good before [Bridge] Machines can do it faster now With hardly any crew And no one needs the neighbours Like the old days used to do But I'd give one summer evening For the smell of meadow clay And hear my father shout my name While bringing home the hay [Final Chorus] We were bringing home the hay Before the weather turned Every hand upon the meadow Every shoulder earned The sun went down behind us On the longest summer day And all of us were richer then Bringing home the hay #IrishCountryLife #IrishFolk #OldIreland #IrishMusic #IrishNostalgia