Digital Tradition Mirror

Follow Me Up to Carlow

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Follow Me Up to Carlow

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.

Ch.:    Curse and swear Lord Kildare
        Feagh will do what Feach will dare
        Now FitzWilliam, have a care
        Fallen is your star, low
        Up with halbert 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
Och, great is Rory Oge O'More, sending the loons to Hades.
White is sick and Lane is fled, now for black FitzWilliam's head
We'll send it over, dripping red, to Queen Liza and the ladies.

NOTE: The Tune is a fast (!) Irish march.
recorded by Planxty on their first album (1972) and by Noel McLough

In 1580, in the lonely pass of Glen Malure in Co. Wicklow, Fiach Ma
O'Byrne completely overthrew the forces of the Crown under Lord Gre
de Wilton. The victory is commemorated in this stirring song.

MJ

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!