The Wearing of the Green
Encyclopedia
"The Wearing of the Green" is an anonymously-penned Irish street ballad dating to 1798. The context of the song is the repression around the time of the Irish Rebellion of 1798
. Wearing a shamrock in the "caubeen
" (hat) was a sign of rebellion and green was the colour of the Society of the United Irishmen
, a republican revolutionary organisation. During the period, displaying revolutionary insignia was made punishable by hanging.
, adapted for his 1864 play Arragh na Pogue, or the Wicklow Wedding, set in County Wicklow
during the 1798 rebellion. In the second verse, Boucicault's version recounts an encounter between the singer and Napper Tandy, an Irish rebel leader exiled in France. In earlier versions of the ballad, and the similar "Green Among the Cape", it is Napoleon Bonaparte who asks how Ireland is.
Boucicault's addition of the third and last verse is in notable contrast to the middle verse, in advocating emigration to America
rather staying in defiance. Boucicault himself fled to New York
after leaving his wife for a young actress.
(1940), The Wolfe Tones (1985), and Orthodox Celts
(1997)
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...
. Wearing a shamrock in the "caubeen
Caubeen
The caubeen is an Irish beret. It was formerly worn by peasants; however, it has since been adopted as the headdress of the Irish regiments of the British and Commonwealth armies, where its formal name is the "Bonnet, Irish, Green".-Name:...
" (hat) was a sign of rebellion and green was the colour of the Society of the United Irishmen
Society of the United Irishmen
The Society of United Irishmen was founded as a liberal political organisation in eighteenth century Ireland that sought Parliamentary reform. However, it evolved into a revolutionary republican organisation, inspired by the American Revolution and allied with Revolutionary France...
, a republican revolutionary organisation. During the period, displaying revolutionary insignia was made punishable by hanging.
Lyric
Many versions of the lyric exist. The best-known version is by Dion BoucicaultDion Boucicault
Dionysius Lardner Boursiquot , commonly known as Dion Boucicault, was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the Atlantic as one of the most successful actor-playwright-managers then in the...
, adapted for his 1864 play Arragh na Pogue, or the Wicklow Wedding, set in County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
during the 1798 rebellion. In the second verse, Boucicault's version recounts an encounter between the singer and Napper Tandy, an Irish rebel leader exiled in France. In earlier versions of the ballad, and the similar "Green Among the Cape", it is Napoleon Bonaparte who asks how Ireland is.
Boucicault's addition of the third and last verse is in notable contrast to the middle verse, in advocating emigration to America
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
rather staying in defiance. Boucicault himself fled to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
after leaving his wife for a young actress.
Recordings
Artists to have recorded the song include John McCormack (1904, again in 1912), Judy GarlandJudy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
(1940), The Wolfe Tones (1985), and Orthodox Celts
Orthodox Celts
Orthodox Celts is a Serbian band which plays Irish folk music combined with rock elements. Despite their unusual sound the band is one of the top acts of the Serbian rock scene and has influenced several younger bands, most notably Tir na n'Og and Irish Stew of Sindidun.The band started their...
(1997)
Related songs
- Each Dollar A Bullet by The Stiff Little Fingers makes reference to the song.
- "MontoMonto (Take Her Up To Monto)Monto is an Irish folk song, written by George Desmond Hodnett, music critic of the Irish Times, and popularised by the Dubliners.-Lyrics:Well, if you've got a wing-o, Take her up to Ring-o...
" makes reference to the song. - "The Orange and the GreenThe Orange And The Green"The Orange And The Green" is an Irish folk song about a man whose father was a Protestant and his mother was a Catholic . It follows the man's trials as the product of religious intermarriage and how mixed up he turned out to be from such an upbringing.This song was written by Anthony Murphy of...
", "The Rising of the MoonThe Rising of the Moon"The Rising of the Moon" is an Irish ballad recounting a battle between the United Irishmen and the British Army during the Irish Rebellion of 1798.-Description:...
" and Sae Will We Yet (The CorriesThe CorriesThe Corries were a Scottish folk group that emerged from the Scottish folk revival of the early 1960s. Although the group was a trio in the early days, it was as the partnership of Roy Williamson and Ronnie Browne that it is best known.-Early years:...
) are sung to the same tune. - Another 1798 ballad also entitled "The Wearing of the Green" references the more famous song in its chorus:
-
- Her faithful sons will ever sing "The Wearing of the Green"
- Another 1790s ballad, Green Among the Cape, recounts a BelfastBelfastBelfast 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...
croppyCroppyCroppy was a nickname given to Irish rebels during the period of the 1798 rebellion.- Origin :The name "croppy" derives from Ireland in the 1790s as a reference to people with closely cropped hair, a fashion which was associated with the anti-wig French revolutionaries of the period...
's flight to Revolutionary France, with similar elements. - Sung to the same tune, "The wearing of the gray" is a lament for the fallen of the defeated Confederate States of AmericaConfederate States of AmericaThe Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
.
- Another 1790s ballad, Green Among the Cape, recounts a Belfast
- Her faithful sons will ever sing "The Wearing of the Green"