Henry's Songbook

I am a bold Fenian from Cahirciveen
That late took my gun for to fight for the Green
Over mountains and woodlands I wandered along
Now I'll leave it alone and commence on my song
We marched to Kells station that lies near the strand
Where the sea rushes in with wild waves through the land
And then you may say we had courage go leor (go leor - plenty)
When Kells station was taken by the boys from Kylemore

We marched all along and our guns we did load
We then met a policeman, on horseback he rode
We asked him to surrender but the answer was, No
And a ball from young Conway soon levelled him low
Again we marched on and our guns did reload
We met Father Meegan and for him we bowed
He gave us his blessing saying, God be your friend
On the mission for Freedom on which you are bent

Come shoulder your arms, come march and obey
For alas! we were beaten all on the next day
Our plans were found out by some dirty old spy
And on Captain Moriarty they did cast an eye
Moriarty came in on the mail car next day
To get all our brave boys for to join in the fray
To our greatest surprise he was marched off to jail
And he left us in sorrow our loss to bewail

And it's over the mountains we then took our course
Our stomachs being slack and our feet being sore
We were in our number about sixty strong
Surrounded by redcoats for something went wrong
So hurrah for the Fenians from Cahirciveen
No bolder, no finer in Erin was seen
No braver battalion did fight for the Green
Than the true-hearted Fenians from Cahirciveen