"The Boys of Wexford" is a famous Irish ballad

Ballad

A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...

 commemorating the Irish Rebellion of 1798

Irish Rebellion of 1798

The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...

. The ballad was lyrics were composed 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...

 and music by Arthur Warren Darley

Arthur Warren Darley

Arthur Warren Darley was an Irish Fiddle player, composer, music teacher and examiner as well as a traditional music archivist.Arthur Warren Darley was born in Dun laoghaire and first lived in Silchester Road. He was a grandnephew of poet George Darley. His father Henry Warren Darley had converted...

, who also composed other wexford ballads "Boolavogue

Boolavogue

Boolavogue, also spelt Boolavoge or Boleyvogue , is a village 5 miles northeast of Enniscorthy in County Wexford, Ireland. It is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferns....

", "Kelly the Boy from Killanne".

Lyrics

(Chorus):

We are the boys of Wexford,

Who fought with heart and hand

To burst in twain the galling chain

And free our native land.



In comes the captain's daughter,

The captain of the Yeos

Yeomanry

Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Territorial Army, descended from volunteer cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units may serve in a variety of different military roles.-History:...

,

Saying "Brave United Irishmen,

We'll ne'er again be foes.

A thousand pounds I'll bring

If you will fly from home with me,

And dress myself in man's attire

And fight for liberty."



I want no gold, my maiden fair,

To fly from home with thee.

You shining eyes will be my prize,

More dear than gold to me.

I want no gold to nerve my arm

To do a true man's part -

To free my land I'd gladly give

The red drops of my heart."



And when we left our cabins, boys,

We left with right good will

To see our friends and neighbours

That were at Vinegar Hill

Battle of Vinegar Hill

The Battle of Vinegar Hill was an engagement during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 on 21 June 1798 when over 15,000 British soldiers launched an attack on Vinegar Hill outside Enniscorthy, County Wexford, the largest camp and headquarters of the Wexford United Irish rebels...

!

A young man from our Irish ranks

A cannon he let go;

He slapt it into Lord Mountjoy

A tyrant he laid low!



We bravely fought and conquered

At Ross

Battle of New Ross (1798)

The Battle of New Ross took place in County Wexford in south-eastern Ireland, during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. It was fought between the Irish Republican insurgents called the United Irishmen and British Crown forces composed of regular soldiers, militia and yeomanry...

 and Wexford town

Wexford

Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...

;

And if we failed to keep them,

'Twas drink that brought us down.

We had no drink beside us

On Tubberneering's day

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...

,

Depending on the long, bright pike,

And well it worked that way.



And Oulart

Battle of Oulart Hill

The Battle of Oulart Hill took place on 27 May 1798 when a rebel gathering of 1,000 annihilated a detachment of militia sent from Wexford town to stamp out the spreading rebellion in county Wexford.-Background:...

's name shall be their shame,

Whose steel we ne'er did fear.

For every man could do his part

Like Forth and Shelmalier

Shelmalier

Shelmalier or Shelmaliere is an area in County Wexford, Ireland. It comprises two baronies, East Shelmaliere and West Shelmaliere.The farmers of east Shelmalier were accustomed to shoot wild fowl on the North sloblands....

!

And if for want of leaders,

We lost at Vinegar Hill,

We're ready for another fight,

And love our country still!