CULLYBACKEY
Dedicated to Mr and Mrs Stott, Craigdun Castle
Cullybackey, pretty village – I should rather say a town
In far-off days thou wert a place of very great renown;
Old chieftains here resided, and old rulers of the land,
All lived here in wealth and grandeur – men bowed at their command.
Thy lovely dales and woodlands, in the happy summer-time,
Were the scenes of radiant beauty, far outreaching any clime.
And the trysts of happy lovers, in those golden days of yore,
When men believed in honour, and were loyal to the core.
And yet, sweet Cullybackey, thou hast not changed very much;
Thou art still a place of beauty, and art still described as such.
The verdant hills of ancient Craigs look proudly down on thee,
And Hillmount’s woods and shady glens are beautiful to see.
Here you may view the beauties of the Castle of Craigdun,
With its woods and lawns and gardens reflected in the sun;
The pretty church, the winding roads, the ever-busy scene,
Around the works at Hillmount Vale, renowned as “Hillmount Green.”
And by the pleasant waters of the crystal river Maine
One is tempted to forget the past with all its grief and pain.
And to live again in fancy, in the visions of a dream,
Where enchantment lends a beauty to all that’s felt and seen.
Can we forgive the poet who would change thy ancient name
The name of Cullybackey, with all its ancient fame?
Renowned in song and story, and beloved in every part,
Thy name, thy fame, thy history, is dear to every heart.
T. R. Robinson, Craigs National School
Ballymena Weekly Telegraph 29th May 1920