Come All You Warriors
Encyclopedia
Come All You Warriors is a ballad concerning the rebellion against British rule that took place largely in Wexford, Ireland in 1798. The narrative focuses on the predominant figure in the Wexford rebellion, Father John Murphy of the parish of Boulavogue.
The song was written within a couple of years of the rebellion and is one of the texts on which the well known 'Boulavogue' was based by P.J. McCall a hundred years later for the centenary celebrations of the rebellion.
The song is referenced in the 'Memoirs of Joseph Holt, general of the Irish rebels in 1798', where he states:
Come all you warriors and renowned nobles
Give ear unto my warlike theme
While I relate how brave Father Murphy
He lately roused from his sleepy dream
Sure Julius Caesar nor Alexander
Nor brave King Arthur ever equalled him
For armies formidable he did conquer
Though with two pikemen he did begin
I
(Alternate first verse listed in 'Verse in English from Eighteenth-century Ireland' by Andrew Carpenter)
Come all you warriors and renowned nobles
Who once commanded brave warlike bands
Throw down your plumes and your golden trophies
Give up your arms with a trembling hand
For Father Murphy of the County Wexford
,
Lately roused from his sleepy dream
To cut down cruel Saxon
persecution
And wash it away in a crimson stream.
II
Camolin cavalry he did unhorse them
Their first lieutenant he cut him down
With shattered ranks and with broken columns
They soon returned to Camolin
town
At the hill of Oulart
he displayed his valour
Where a hundred Corkmen lay on the plain
At Enniscorthy
his sword he wielded
And I hope to see him once more again
III
When Enniscorthy became subject unto him
Twas then to Wexford we marched our men
And on the Three Rock
took up our quarters
Waiting for daylight the town to win
The loyal townsmen gave their assistance
We will die or conquer they all did say
The yeomen cavalry made no resistance,
For on the pavement their corpses lay
IV
With drums a-beating the town did echo
And acclamations came from door to door
On the Windmill Hill we pitched our tents then
We drank like heroes but paid no score
On Carraig Rua for some time we waited
And next to Gorey
we did repair
At Tubberneering
we thought no harm
The bloody army was waiting there
V
The issue of it was a close engagement
While on the soldiers we played warlike pranks
Through the sheepwalks, hedgerows and shady thickets
There were mangled bodies and broken ranks
The shuddering cavalry, I can't forget them
We raised the brushes on their helmets straight
They turned about and made straight for Dublin
As though they ran for a ten pound plate
VI
Now, some crossed Donnybrook
and more through Blackrock
And some up Shankhill
without wound or flaw
And if Barry Lawless be not a liar
There was more went groaning up Luggela
To the Windmill Hill of Enniscorthy,
The British Fencibles
they fled like deers
But our ranks were tattered and sorely scattered
By the loss o Kyan and his Shelmaliers
VII
With flying colours we marched on to Limerick,
And to Kilcavan
we did repair;
'Twas on Mount Pleasant we called the county,
And pointed cannon at the army there.
When we thought fit we marched on to Gorey;
The next was Arklow
we did surround.
The night being coming, we regretted sorely,
Tho' one hundred soldiers lay on the ground.
VIII
The streets of England were left quite naked
Of all their army both foot and horse
The Highlands of Scotland were left unguarded
Likewise the Hessians the seas did cross
But if the Frenchmen had reinforced us
And landed transports at Baginbun
Father John Murphy, he would be their seconder
And sixteen thousand with him would come
IX
Success attend you sweet County Wexford
Threw off the yoke
and to battle run
Let them not think we gave up our arms
For every man still has a pike
and gun
The song was written within a couple of years of the rebellion and is one of the texts on which the well known 'Boulavogue' was based by P.J. McCall a hundred years later for the centenary celebrations of the rebellion.
The song is referenced in the 'Memoirs of Joseph Holt, general of the Irish rebels in 1798', where he states:
'The fragments of a popular song of this period, which I picked up last summer (1836) in a tour through the county of Wexford asserts that
At the Windmill hills, and at Enniscorthy,
The British fencibles they ran like deers,
But our ranks were scattered and sorely battered,
For the want of Kyan and his Shelmaliers.'
Recordings
- The song was recorded twice by Frank HarteFrank HarteFrank Harte was a traditional Irish singer, song collector, architect and lecturer. He was born and raised in Dublin. His father Peter Harte who had moved from a farming background in Sligo owned 'The Tap' pub in Chapelizod...
on the albums 'Dublin Street Songs / Through Dublin CityDublin Street Songs / Through Dublin CityDublin Street Songs and Through Dublin City are LPs of mostly traditional Irish songs by Frank Harte. Dublin Street Songs became Frank Harte's first LP recording in 1967, having been recorded in two days earlier that year by Bill Leader in England at the same time as the tracks that were to become...
' and '1798, The First Year of Liberty'. - It is sung by Jerry O'Reilly on the album 'The Croppy's Complaint'
- A slightly different version with alternate first verse as sung by Phil Berry on the album Wexford Ballads 1798, which also contains many other songs of the rebellion.
Lyrics
(First verse as collected in Colm Ó Lochlainn's "Irish Street Ballads")Come all you warriors and renowned nobles
Give ear unto my warlike theme
While I relate how brave Father Murphy
He lately roused from his sleepy dream
Sure Julius Caesar nor Alexander
Nor brave King Arthur ever equalled him
For armies formidable he did conquer
Though with two pikemen he did begin
I
(Alternate first verse listed in 'Verse in English from Eighteenth-century Ireland' by Andrew Carpenter)
Come all you warriors and renowned nobles
Who once commanded brave warlike bands
Throw down your plumes and your golden trophies
Give up your arms with a trembling hand
For Father Murphy of the County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
,
Lately roused from his sleepy dream
To cut down cruel Saxon
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
persecution
And wash it away in a crimson stream.
II
Camolin cavalry he did unhorse them
Their first lieutenant he cut him down
With shattered ranks and with broken columns
They soon returned to Camolin
Camolin
Camolin is a village in County Wexford in Ireland.Camolin, according to a 2004 report in the German magazine Der Spiegel, is a secret counter-terrorism unit based in Paris, France. The article states that the USA, UK, Australia, Germany, and France - amongst others - created this unit after the 11...
town
At the hill of Oulart
Oulart
Oulart , is a small village in the southeastern corner of Ireland. It is situated in County Wexford just off the R741 regional road halfway between the towns of Gorey to the north and Wexford to the south.Oulart's population is 197....
he displayed his valour
Where a hundred Corkmen lay on the plain
At Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy is the second largest town in County Wexford, Ireland. The population of the town and environs is 9538. The Placenames Database of Ireland sheds no light on the origins of the town's name. It may refer either to the "Island of Corthaidh" or the "Island of Rocks". With a history going...
his sword he wielded
And I hope to see him once more again
III
When Enniscorthy became subject unto him
Twas then to Wexford we marched our men
And on the Three Rock
Battle of Three Rocks
The Battle of Three Rocks was a United Irish victory during the 1798 rebellion against a British artillery column marching to reinforce Wexford town against anticipated rebel attack.-Background:...
took up our quarters
Waiting for daylight the town to win
The loyal townsmen gave their assistance
We will die or conquer they all did say
The yeomen cavalry made no resistance,
For on the pavement their corpses lay
IV
With drums a-beating the town did echo
And acclamations came from door to door
On the Windmill Hill we pitched our tents then
We drank like heroes but paid no score
On Carraig Rua for some time we waited
And next to Gorey
Gorey
Gorey , is a market town in north County Wexford, Ireland, situated beside the main M11 Dublin to Wexford road. The town is also connected to the railway network along the same route. Local newspapers include the Gorey Guardian and Gorey Echo....
we did repair
At Tubberneering
Battle of Tuberneering
The Battle of Tuberneering was fought on 4 June 1798, during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. it was fought between British troops and insurgents mobilised by the revolutionary organisation named the United Irishmen...
we thought no harm
The bloody army was waiting there
V
The issue of it was a close engagement
While on the soldiers we played warlike pranks
Through the sheepwalks, hedgerows and shady thickets
There were mangled bodies and broken ranks
The shuddering cavalry, I can't forget them
We raised the brushes on their helmets straight
They turned about and made straight for Dublin
As though they ran for a ten pound plate
VI
Now, some crossed Donnybrook
Donnybrook, Dublin
Donnybrook is a district of Dublin, Ireland. It is situated on the southside of the city, in the Dublin 4 postal district, and is home to the Irish state broadcaster RTÉ. It was once part of the Pembroke Township...
and more through Blackrock
And some up Shankhill
Shankill, Dublin
Shankill is a suburb in the South-East of Dublin located in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County, Ireland. It has a population of 13,242 .-History:-Name:...
without wound or flaw
And if Barry Lawless be not a liar
There was more went groaning up Luggela
To the Windmill Hill of Enniscorthy,
The British Fencibles
Fencibles
The Fencibles were army regiments raised in the United Kingdom and in the colonies for defence against the threat of invasion during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars in the late 18th century...
they fled like deers
But our ranks were tattered and sorely scattered
By the loss o Kyan and his Shelmaliers
VII
With flying colours we marched on to Limerick,
And to Kilcavan
Kilcavan
Kilcavan GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association gaelic football club in County Laois, Ireland.Founded in 1946, the club colours are maroon and white...
we did repair;
'Twas on Mount Pleasant we called the county,
And pointed cannon at the army there.
When we thought fit we marched on to Gorey;
The next was Arklow
Arklow
Arklow , also known as Inbhear Dé from the Avonmore river's older name Abhainn Dé, is a historic town located in County Wicklow on the east coast of Ireland. Founded by the Vikings in the ninth century, Arklow was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the 1798 rebellion...
we did surround.
The night being coming, we regretted sorely,
Tho' one hundred soldiers lay on the ground.
VIII
The streets of England were left quite naked
Of all their army both foot and horse
The Highlands of Scotland were left unguarded
Likewise the Hessians the seas did cross
But if the Frenchmen had reinforced us
And landed transports at Baginbun
Father John Murphy, he would be their seconder
And sixteen thousand with him would come
IX
Success attend you sweet County Wexford
Threw off the yoke
Yoke
A yoke is a wooden beam, normally used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs, as oxen usually do; some yokes are fitted to individual animals. There are several types of yoke, used in different cultures, and for different types of oxen...
and to battle run
Let them not think we gave up our arms
For every man still has a pike
Pike (weapon)
A pike is a pole weapon, a very long thrusting spear used extensively by infantry both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults. Unlike many similar weapons, the pike is not intended to be thrown. Pikes were used regularly in European warfare from the...
and gun
External links
- 'Verse in English from Eighteenth-century Ireland' by Andrew Carpenter, see pages 566 - 569.