Henry Joy

DESCRIPTION: The singer from Ulster tells how he left his wife and children to follow Henry Joy McCracken. They are defeated at Antrim. Henry Joy is taken to Belfast by the redcoats and hanged in the barrack square.
AUTHOR: T. P. Cummins? (source: mudcat thread about the song)
EARLIEST DATE: 1911 (December 16, 1911 edition of The Irish Weekly, according to mudcat)
KEYWORDS: battle rebellion Ireland execution patriotic
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
July 17, 1798 - Henry Joy McCracken, a founder of the United Irishmen, is executed outside the Market House in Belfast (source: notes to Franke Harte and Donal Lunny, "1798 the First Year of Liberty," Hummingbird Records HBCD0014 (1998))
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Moylan-TheAgeOfRevolution-1776-1815 110, "Henry Joy" (1 text, 1 tune)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Henry Joy McCracken (I)" (character of Henry Joy McCracken) and references there
NOTES [146 words]: Moylan-TheAgeOfRevolution-1776-1815: "This song possibly dates from the early 19th century" - BS
The ballad is recorded on one of the CD's issued around the time of the bicentenial of the 1798 Irish Rebellion. See:
Franke Harte and Donal Lunny, "Henry Joy" (on Franke Harte and Donal Lunny, "1798 the First Year of Liberty," Hummingbird Records HBCD0014 (1998)) - BS
Henry Joy McCracken was one of the most admirable of the United Irishmen. Sadly, he was no soldier, and his attempt to fight the British at Antrim a disaster; for details, see the notes to "Henry Joy McCracken (I)."
Moylan's hypothesis that this was from the first few decades after 1798 makes sense, but a mudcat thread about this song credited it to T. P. Cummins of County Cavan and dated it to 1911. I haven't found a copy of the relevant periodical, so I can't verify this, but I suspect it's correct. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.8
File: Moyl110

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