Erin Go Braugh! (I)

DESCRIPTION: "I'll tell you a story of a row in the town, When the green flag went up and the Crown rag went down." The Irish, though inexperienced, rebel against the English, and cause a captain to die of "lead poisoning." The leaders are hailed.
AUTHOR: Peadar Kearney (1883-1942) ?
EARLIEST DATE: 1973
KEYWORDS: rebellion death Ireland
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
1916 - Easter Uprising
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Silber/Silber-FolksingersWordbook, p. 321, "Erin Go Braugh!" (1 text)
DT, ERNGBRA2
NOTES [143 words]: For background on the Easter Rising, its hopelessness, and its quick fizzle, see the notes, e.g., on "The Boys from County Cork"; also "James Connolly" and "Lovely Banna Strand." It seems almost typical that this song focuses on the bravery of the rebels -- and not their complete ineptness, poor organization, bad communications, and ignominous surrender after only a week.
The fact that most Irish songs of rebellion present pictures idealized to the point of falsehood may not be coincidence; it may show why the English and Irish never understood each other.
Peadar Kearney wrote Ireland's national anthem, "The Soldier's Song," plus "Whack Fol the Diddle (God Bless England)"; it would be no surprise if he wrote this song, but I need better documentation than I have. For more on Kearney, see the notes to "Whack Fol the Diddle (God Bless England)." - RBW
Last updated in version 5.3
File: FSWB321A

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