We Thank Them For The Memories Poem by Francis Duggan

Boxing had Muhammad Ali his greatness beyond dispute
And cricket had Don Bradman and baseball had Babe Ruth
And rock and roll had Elvis referred to as the king
And hurling had it's hero in Cork's own Christy Ring.

Gaelic football had Mick O Connell in his code best of all
And soccer had Brazil's great Pele the black prince of football
And Hollywood had Norma Jean alias Marilyn Monroe
A legendary beauty of the silver screen some forty years ago

And athletics had Carl Lewis and Jesse Owens, Zatopek and Nurmi and Australia's best athlete
Herb Elliot the legendary miler who never tasted defeat
And tennis had Maureen Connolly the legendary Little Mo
Though she died young her fame still lives from all those years ago.

In the swimming pool Dawn Fraser at three Olympics won sprint gold
And of the greatness of the winter Olympian Jean Claude Killy we've been told
And in basketball Michael Jordan is man of the century
And in rugby union David Campese made his own history.

I have mentioned here some people who were revered and admired
They were role models for many and many by them were inspired
And add to them the name of Willie Shoemaker perhaps horse racing's greatest name
He rode thousands of winners on his great journey to fame.

As legends in their chosen field one could mention many more
But father time takes care of all as we've often heard before
And though we thank them for the memories they too had their day
And for the up and coming they too had to make way.