Flying Column was the name adopted by a group of Irish traditional musicians and singers who formed a folk band in Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

 around 1967/68. They took their name from the small tight cells that comprised the IRA active service units

Flying column

A flying column is a small, independent, military land unit capable of rapid mobility and usually composed of all arms. It is often an ad hoc unit, formed during the course of operations....

 during the Anglo-Irish war

Irish War of Independence

The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...

 of 1916-1921.

Name

Sammy Largey, the father of the lead male vocalist with the group, Eamonn, had been a member of a flying column during the War of Independence and was also imprisoned on the prison ship The Argenta. It was through his father's active service within the rank of the Irish Republican Army's Flying Columns that prompted Eamonn to name the group.

Group

The main contributors to the band were West Belfast couple Eamonn and Kathleen Largey (née McCready). This pair were the main vocalists - Although on the album Tony Lynch (the guitarist) sang both "Johnstons Motor Car" and also "The Castle of Dromore" on the "Four Green Fields" album. Completing the folk band were Benny on the banjo and Paul on the fiddle.

Music

The band toured Ireland during the late 60's and early 70's, playing pubs, clubs and school halls. Although their seminal album "Four Green Fields" was one of the best selling Irish folk albums of all time, none of the members of the band received any royalties for this album or any of their other albums or concerts as all proceeds went to the "Green Cross", a charity for Irish political prisoners.

The "Four Green Fields" album was released under the GEM label, named after the song by Tommy Makem

Tommy Makem

Thomas "Tommy" Makem was an internationally celebrated Irish folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller. He was best known as a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the long-necked 5-string banjo, guitar, tin whistle, and bagpipes, and sang in a distinctive baritone...

. This album became popular for nationalist households in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

 after it was released in 1971. It recounted in song the various rebellions from 1798 right through to the IRA border campaign

Border Campaign (IRA)

The Border Campaign was a campaign of guerrilla warfare carried out by the Irish Republican Army against targets in Northern Ireland, with the aim of overthrowing British rule there and creating a united Ireland.Popularly referred to as the Border Campaign, it was also referred to as the...

 which ended in 1962.

The success of this album was never to be repeated as Eamonn Largey died in a car crash in 1973. Kathleen Largey continued on a solo career, dedicated mainly to fund raising for the republican cause, right up to her death on 9th February, 1979 from cancer. http://republican-news.org/archive/1999/February04/04larg.html

The last remaining members of the band had a reunion in 2001.

Track Listing for Four Green Fields

1. Four green fields
2. Roisin Dubh/My dark Rosaleen
3. Sam Hall
4. Dirty old town
5. Medley (The Boys of Wexford, the Bold Fenian Men, Sean Sabhat)
6. Madame Bonaparte
7. Johnston's Motor Car
   Johnston's Motor Car
   Johnston's Motor Car is an Irish rebel song written by Willy Gillespie based on the commandeering of a motor car belonging to a Doctor Johnston by the Irish Republican Army....
   
   
8. Boolavogue
9. Golden jubilee
10. The castle of dromore
11. Legion of the Rearguard
12. The song of the dawn