The Sash
Encyclopedia
The Sash is a ballad from Ireland
commemorating the victory of King William III in the Williamite war in Ireland
in 1690–1691.
The lyrics mention the 1689 Siege of Derry
, the 1689 Battle of Newtownbutler
near Enniskillen
, the 1690 Battle of the Boyne
and the 1691 Battle of Aughrim
. It is popular amongst Ulster loyalists and many unionists in Northern Ireland
, as well as in parts of Scotland
where it can often be heard sung at football games by supporters of Rangers F.C.
(in particular by the more vocal support at away matches).
The lyrics are thought to be around 100 years old, and the melody has been traced back to the early 19th century. The earliest known printing of the tune is from 1876. It included the words "The Hat My Father Wore". The song is classified in the Roud folk-song index as number 4796. The tune of "The Sash" was well known around Europe, and before the lyrics were added, it was a love song that lamented division between people. Instead of "it was old and it was beautiful", the lyrics were "she was young and she was beautiful". It has also been adapted by fans of Stockport County F.C.
, who call it "The Scarf My Father Wore" or simply "The Anthem".
The tune is used by Liverpool F.C.
fans in their song Poor Scouser Tommy.
The song has also been parodied by the Irish rock band The Saw Doctors
, who included The Hash My Father Smoked on their 2007 album That Takes the Biscuit!
To see my British brethren all of honour and of fame,
And to tell them of my forefathers who fought in days of yore,
That I might have the right to wear, the sash my father wore!
Chorus:
It is old but it is beautiful, and its colours they are fine
It was worn at Derry, Aughrim, Enniskillen and the Boyne.
My father wore it as a youth in bygone days of yore,
And on the Twelfth I love to wear the sash my father wore.
Chorus
For those brave men who crossed the Boyne have not fought or died in vain
Our Unity, Religion, Laws, and Freedom to maintain,
If the call should come we'll follow the drum, and cross that river once more
That tomorrow's Ulsterman may wear the sash my father wore!
Chorus
And when some day, across the sea to Antrim's shore you come,
We'll welcome you in royal style, to the sound of flute and drum
And Ulster's hills shall echo still, from Rathlin to Dromore
As we sing again the loyal strain of the sash my father wore!
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
commemorating the victory of King William III in the Williamite war in Ireland
Williamite war in Ireland
The Williamite War in Ireland—also called the Jacobite War in Ireland, the Williamite-Jacobite War in Ireland and in Irish as Cogadh an Dá Rí —was a conflict between Catholic King James II and Protestant King William of Orange over who would be King of England, Scotland and Ireland...
in 1690–1691.
The lyrics mention the 1689 Siege of Derry
Siege of Derry
The Siege of Derry took place in Ireland from 18 April to 28 July 1689, during the Williamite War in Ireland. The city, a Williamite stronghold, was besieged by a Jacobite army until it was relieved by Royal Navy ships...
, the 1689 Battle of Newtownbutler
Battle of Newtownbutler
The Battle of Newtownbutler took place near Enniskillen in County Fermanagh, Ireland, in 1689 and was part of the Williamite War in Ireland between the forces of William and Mary and those of King James II.-The war in western Ulster:...
near Enniskillen
Enniskillen
Enniskillen is a town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,599 in the 2001 Census...
, the 1690 Battle of the Boyne
Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne was fought in 1690 between two rival claimants of the English, Scottish and Irish thronesthe Catholic King James and the Protestant King William across the River Boyne near Drogheda on the east coast of Ireland...
and the 1691 Battle of Aughrim
Battle of Aughrim
The Battle of Aughrim was the decisive battle of the Williamite War in Ireland. It was fought between the Jacobites and the forces of William III on 12 July 1691 , near the village of Aughrim in County Galway....
. It is popular amongst Ulster loyalists and many unionists 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...
, as well as in parts of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
where it can often be heard sung at football games by supporters of Rangers F.C.
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
(in particular by the more vocal support at away matches).
The lyrics are thought to be around 100 years old, and the melody has been traced back to the early 19th century. The earliest known printing of the tune is from 1876. It included the words "The Hat My Father Wore". The song is classified in the Roud folk-song index as number 4796. The tune of "The Sash" was well known around Europe, and before the lyrics were added, it was a love song that lamented division between people. Instead of "it was old and it was beautiful", the lyrics were "she was young and she was beautiful". It has also been adapted by fans of Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
, who call it "The Scarf My Father Wore" or simply "The Anthem".
The tune is used by Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
fans in their song Poor Scouser Tommy.
The song has also been parodied by the Irish rock band The Saw Doctors
The Saw Doctors
The Saw Doctors are an Irish rock band. Formed in 1986 in Tuam, County Galway, they have achieved eighteen Top 30 singles in Ireland, including three number ones. Their first number one, "I Useta Lover," topped the Irish charts for nine consecutive weeks in 1990, and still holds the record for the...
, who included The Hash My Father Smoked on their 2007 album That Takes the Biscuit!
Lyrics
Sure l'm an Ulster Orangeman , from Erin's isle I came,To see my British brethren all of honour and of fame,
And to tell them of my forefathers who fought in days of yore,
That I might have the right to wear, the sash my father wore!
Chorus:
It is old but it is beautiful, and its colours they are fine
It was worn at Derry, Aughrim, Enniskillen and the Boyne.
My father wore it as a youth in bygone days of yore,
And on the Twelfth I love to wear the sash my father wore.
Chorus
For those brave men who crossed the Boyne have not fought or died in vain
Our Unity, Religion, Laws, and Freedom to maintain,
If the call should come we'll follow the drum, and cross that river once more
That tomorrow's Ulsterman may wear the sash my father wore!
Chorus
And when some day, across the sea to Antrim's shore you come,
We'll welcome you in royal style, to the sound of flute and drum
And Ulster's hills shall echo still, from Rathlin to Dromore
As we sing again the loyal strain of the sash my father wore!
External links
- Video of a man playing The Sash on a fife- from YoutubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....