i ve always been a rover and i ve never had a care i ve courted every lass i ve met from antrim down to clare i ve never felt the pain of love till cupid came one day now every thought i ve had is on kitty of kilrea i love the rose of kilrea and one of these days i ll dance her away she s stolen me heart and never i ll part with kitty the rose of kilrea her hair is long and golden and her eyes are emerald green she s well put together from head to toe she s every young man s dream all of the boys are chasin her and it s time i made me play when i get bold i will propose to kitty of kilrea i love the rose of kilrea and one of these days i ll dance her away she s stolen me heart and never i ll part with kitty the rose of kilrea in belfast city i know a lass with money and with class she says she s waiting to marry me but i know it wouldn t last i told her nice and gently that me heart would never stray from the rose of county derry and me kitty of kilrea i love the rose of kilrea and one of these days i ll dance her away she s stolen me heart and never i ll part with kitty the rose of kilrea now that we are married we have children on our knee a girl just like her mummy and a boy that looks like me and when i hold her in me arms me heart still thumps away the king can have his riches i ve got kitty of kilrea i love the rose of kilrea and one of these days i ll dance her away she s stolen me heart and never i ll part with kitty the rose of kilrea i love the rose of kilrea and one of these days i ll dance her away she s stolen me heart and never i ll part with kitty the rose of kilrea