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Follow me up to Carlow
   lyrics by Patrick Joseph McCall (1861-1919)

Verse and chorus:  .mp3 (192 KB)  Entire song:  .mp3 (550 KB) | .wma (550 KB) "Auld Lang Syne" is performed by  Wild Mountain Thyme on their album There Can Be Only One.  Please refer to Cantaria's Copyright information

Notes:  Glenmalure is a valley in the Wicklow Mountains, south of Dublin.  In 1580 Feach MacHugh O'Byrne fought and won against the English army, who were led by Lord Grey de Wilton. It was a turning-point event, and part of a wider revolt that was initiated by the Fitzgeralds. The revolt ended in failure, but Grey's defeat was a significant victory.  O'Byre's stronghold was at the eastern end of the glen and there are some ruins of it remaining on Ballincor Mountain in Wicklow.

There's a good bit of background info here.

Lift MacCahir Og your face
Brooding o'er the old disgrace
That black FitzWilliam stormed your place,
Drove you to the Fern
Grey said victory was sure
Soon the firebrand he'd secure;
Until he met at Glenmalure
With Feach MacHugh O'Byrne.

Curse and swear Lord Kildare,
Feach will do what Feach will dare
Now FitzWilliam, have a care
Fallen is your star, low.
Up with halberd out with sword
On we'll go for by the lord
Feach MacHugh has given the word,
Follow me up to Carlow.

See the swords of Glen Imayle,
Flashing o'er the English pale
See all the children of the Gael,
Beneath O'Byrne's banners
Rooster of the fighting stock,
Would you let a Saxon cock
Crow out upon an Irish rock,
Fly up and teach him manners.

From Tassagart to Clonmore,
There flows a stream of Saxon gore
Oh, great is Rory Oge O'More,
At sending loons to Hades.
White is sick and Lane is fled,
Now for black FitzWilliam's head
We'll send it over, dripping red,
To Liza and her ladies.

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