Digital Tradition Mirror

Lonely Banna Strand

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Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Lonely Banna Strand

'Twas on Good Friday Morning all in the month of May
A German ship was signaled beyond there in the bay.
We've twenty thousand rifles here all ready for to land
But no answering signal came from the lonely Banna Strand.

A motor-car was dashing through the early morning gloom,
A sudden crash, and in the sea they went to meet their doom
Two Irish lads lay dying there just like their hopes so grand
They could not give the signal now from lonely Banna Strand.

'No signal answers from the shore,' Sir Roger sadly said,
'No comrades here to welcome me, alas! they must be dead;
But I must do my duty and at once I mean to land,'
So in a boat he pulled ashore to lonely Banna Strand.

The German ships were lying there with rifles in galore.
Up came a British ship and spoke, 'No Germans reach the shore;
You are our Empire's enemy, and so we bid you stand.
No German foot shall e'er pollute the lonely Banna Strand.'

They sailed for Queenstown Harbour. Said the Germans: 'We're undone
The British are our masters man for man and gun for gun.
We've twenty thousand rifles here, but they never will reach land.
We'll sink them all and bid farewell to lonely Banna Strand.'

The R.I. C. were hunting for Sir Roger high and low,
They found him at McKenna's Fort, said they: 'You are our foe.'
Said he, 'I'm Roger Casement, I came to my native land,
I meant to free my countrymen on the lonely Banna Strand.'

They took Sir Roger prisoner and sailed for London Tower,
And in the Tower they laid him as a traitor to the Crown.
Said he, 'I m no traitor,' but his trial he had to stand.
For bringing German rifles to the lonely Banna Strand.

'Twas in an English prison that they led him to his death.
'I'm dying for my country,' he said with his last breath.
He's buried in a prison yard far from his native land
The wild waves sing his Requiem on lonely Banna Strand.

RG

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!