Follow Me up to Carlow
Encyclopedia
"Follow Me Up to Carlow
" is an Irish folk song
celebrating the defeat of an army of 3,000 English
soldiers by Fiach Mac Aodh Ó Broin
(anglicised Fiach McHugh O'Byrne) at the Battle of Glenmalure
, during the Second Desmond Rebellion
in 1580.
is reputed to have first been performed by the pipers of Fiach MacHugh in 1580.
The words were written by Patrick Joseph McCall
(1861–1919) and appear in his Songs of Erinn (1899) under the title "Marching Song of Feagh MacHugh".
recorded it on their debut album. This is often recognised as the definitive recording.
An adapted version of the song was performed by the Young Dubliners
, a Celtic rock band. It can be found on their albums "Breathe", "Alive Alive O" (live) and "With All Due Respect - The Irish Sessions".
A Polish version of the song ("Do Carlow") was recorded by the band Mordewind and can be found on their second album, "Defaac'to".
The song was performed by the Spanish band Los Stompers
as part of their live album "Mezzy on Stage".
Blood or Whiskey, an Irish punk/folk band from Leixlip, County Kildare, recorded it on their album "No Time To Explain".
broodin' o'er the old disgrace
That black Fitzwilliam stormed your place
and drove you to the fern
Gray said victory was sure,
soon the firebrand he'd secure
Until he met at Glenmalure
with Fiach McHugh O'Byrne
Chorus
Curse and swear, Lord Kildare,
Fiach will do what Fiach will dare
Now Fitzwilliam have a care,
fallen is your star low
Up with halberd, out with sword,
on we go for, by the Lord
Fiach McHugh has given the word
"Follow me up to Carlow"
See the swords at Glen Imaal,
flashin' o'er the english pale
See all the children of the Gael,
beneath O'Byrne's banner
Rooster of a fighting stock,
would you let a Saxon cock
Crow out upon an Irish Rock,
fly up and teach him manners
Chorus
From Tassagart to Clonmore,
flows a stream of Saxon gore
How great is Rory Og O'Moore
at sending loons to Hades
White is sick, Gray is fled,
now for black Fitzwilliam's head
We'll send it over, dripping red,
to Liza and her ladies
Chorus
Carlow
Carlow is the county town of County Carlow in Ireland. It is situated in the south-east of Ireland, 84 km from Dublin. County Carlow is the second smallest county in Ireland by area, however Carlow Town is the 14th largest urban area in Ireland by population according to the 2006 census. The...
" is an Irish folk song
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
celebrating the defeat of an army of 3,000 English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
soldiers by Fiach Mac Aodh Ó Broin
Fiach McHugh O'Byrne
Fiach mac Aodh Ó Broin was Lord of Ranelagh and sometime leader of the Clann Uí Bhroin, or the O'Byrne clan, during the Elizabethan conquest of Ireland.-Background:...
(anglicised Fiach McHugh O'Byrne) at the Battle of Glenmalure
Battle of Glenmalure
The Battle of Glenmalure took place in Ireland in 1580 during the Desmond Rebellions. An Irish Catholic force made up of the Gaelic clans from the Wicklow Mountains led by Fiach MacHugh O'Byrne and James Eustace, Viscount Baltinglas of the Pale, defeated an English army under Arthur Grey, 14th...
, during the Second Desmond Rebellion
Second Desmond Rebellion
The Second Desmond rebellion was the more widespread and bloody of the two Desmond Rebellions launched by the FitzGerald dynasty of Desmond in Munster, Ireland, against English rule in Ireland...
in 1580.
Composition
The airAir (music)
Air , a variant of the musical song form, is the name of various song-like vocal or instrumental compositions.-English lute ayres:...
is reputed to have first been performed by the pipers of Fiach MacHugh in 1580.
The words were written by Patrick Joseph McCall
Patrick Joseph McCall
Patrick Joseph McCall was an Irish songwriter and poet, known mostly as the author of lyrics for popular ballads: "Follow me up to Carlow", "The Boys of Wexford", "Boolavogue, The Lowlands Low and "Kelly the Boy from Killanne".The Wexford ballads dealing with the 1798 Rising were put to music by...
(1861–1919) and appear in his Songs of Erinn (1899) under the title "Marching Song of Feagh MacHugh".
Performances
It has been performed by numerous Irish folk bands. Most notably, PlanxtyPlanxty
Planxty is an Irish folk music band formed in the 1970s, consisting initially of Christy Moore , Dónal Lunny , Andy Irvine , and Liam O'Flynn...
recorded it on their debut album. This is often recognised as the definitive recording.
An adapted version of the song was performed by the Young Dubliners
Young Dubliners
The Young Dubliners is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1988. Their style of music has come to be called Celtic Rock, for the fusion of Irish traditional instruments and music with modern rock...
, a Celtic rock band. It can be found on their albums "Breathe", "Alive Alive O" (live) and "With All Due Respect - The Irish Sessions".
A Polish version of the song ("Do Carlow") was recorded by the band Mordewind and can be found on their second album, "Defaac'to".
The song was performed by the Spanish band Los Stompers
Los Stompers
Los Stompers are an Irish Music group based in Barcelona, Spain. Formed in 1997, the group refers to itself as post-Irish. They have established themselves as a point of reference on the Catalan music scene, developing from Irish folk beginnings towards a more personalised stance expressed by what...
as part of their live album "Mezzy on Stage".
Blood or Whiskey, an Irish punk/folk band from Leixlip, County Kildare, recorded it on their album "No Time To Explain".
Lyrics
Lift Mac Cahir Og your face,broodin' o'er the old disgrace
That black Fitzwilliam stormed your place
and drove you to the fern
Gray said victory was sure,
soon the firebrand he'd secure
Until he met at Glenmalure
with Fiach McHugh O'Byrne
Chorus
Curse and swear, Lord Kildare,
Fiach will do what Fiach will dare
Now Fitzwilliam have a care,
fallen is your star low
Up with halberd, out with sword,
on we go for, by the Lord
Fiach McHugh has given the word
"Follow me up to Carlow"
See the swords at Glen Imaal,
flashin' o'er the english pale
See all the children of the Gael,
beneath O'Byrne's banner
Rooster of a fighting stock,
would you let a Saxon cock
Crow out upon an Irish Rock,
fly up and teach him manners
Chorus
From Tassagart to Clonmore,
flows a stream of Saxon gore
How great is Rory Og O'Moore
at sending loons to Hades
White is sick, Gray is fled,
now for black Fitzwilliam's head
We'll send it over, dripping red,
to Liza and her ladies
Chorus