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But for the Grace of God
In the winter rain of Limerick, with the hunger at my door
I fired a shot in desperation and was taken to the floor
My mother begged for mercy with a hand that could not write
But for the grace of God, I lived beyond that night
Twelve months lost upon the water, twelve months fearing what’s to come
Till the sunlight broke on Spring Bay and warmed a convict’s bones
And the day they finally freed me, I felt my spirit rise
But for the grace of God, I found love in Ellen’s eyes
On the Vicary land in Triabunna, where the southern winds ran wild
I found an Irish heartbeat in a maid with a gentle smile
We wed in Richmond’s chapel, old stones and holy light
And I felt the Lord restore me in the sacrament that night
Then the years rolled soft before us and our children filled the air
Michael first, then little Margaret, and the twins with matching stare
And when young Ellen joined us in the spring of sixty-four
But for the grace of God, I’d have never asked for more
Twelve months lost upon the water, twelve months fearing what’s to come
Till the sunlight broke on Spring Bay and warmed a convict’s bones
And the day they finally freed me, I felt my spirit rise
But for the grace of God, I found love in Ellen’s eyes
And when my eldest took to Rheban, six thousand acres wide and grand
I saw a strength within him that could tame the hardest land
He rode the hills with purpose, with a fire I’d never known
And I thanked the Lord in silence for the greatness in my son
Though I’d not live to see it, I could feel the future rise
In the way he walked the paddocks with a vision in his eyes
And I knew the Lord had lifted what the famine once had done
But for the grace of God, a legacy had begun
Twelve months lost upon the water, twelve months fearing what’s to come
Till the sunlight broke on Spring Bay and warmed a convict’s bones
And the day they finally freed me, I felt my spirit rise
But for the grace of God, I lived long enough to see that pride
STORY BOARD
SONG OVERVIEW
Written and produced by Tasmanian Songwriter Jason Bresnehan, But for the Grace of God is part of Seventh Ribbon Music’s Ireland to Island Collection. The printed, Kindle and eBook editions of Ireland to Island Collection, featuring QR codes to the songs, will be available through Amazon and other book platforms from 24 December 2026.