Kelly The Boy From Killane march

And those keys go jingle, jingle, jangle - alright, overkill, three keys this time. I have fond memories of march shoot-outs, with a preponderance of less threatening barrels - whistles, flutes and of course the pipes in several varieties. Yeah, including the orange variety. As long as no one takes it too damned serious marches a great craic. It can be quite a hoot to get into that swing and carry it for a spell. I also remember one brave lad standing up to march as we played - with the table in front of him getting in the way and him getting a Guiness bath out of the ‘trip’… On the other hand we just kept playing, though timing the laughter through wind instruments did pose some difficulty…

http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/index.html
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/KEA_KEM.htm

“John Moulden identifies this song as written by a Dublin City Councillor and Patrick Street publican, Patrick Joseph McCall (1861‑1919), a prolific songwriter of mostly patriotic ballads - - - John Kelly was a merchant’s son from Kilane, County Wexford, and a man of impressive size, seven feet or more. He participated in the rising of 1798, fighting under the command of Bagnal Harvey, one of the Protestant leaders of the rebellion.- - - ”

I quote from the booklet ‘1798 Rebellion’ by P.A. Donohoe, which tends to be a bit OTT. “The giant with the gold curling hair, 7ft 3inches, aged 23 during the Rebellion of ’98. Very handsome. Fair complexion and wore his auburn hair long and flowing in curls to his shoulders. The noble qualities of this hero corresponded with the beauty of his person….. drew up battle plans for the taking of New Ross … badly wounded at Ross and later taken to Wexford Bridge where he was executed …. a soldier seen carrying the severed head by its long hair, swinging it as he marched. On reaching the market place he stuck it on a pike where it was exhibited for days. Finally the head was taken down … and kicked about like a football on Wexford’s Quayside by the brutal Orange mob”!!! Just thought you’d like to know of his sticky end - there’s lots more where that came from. Captain John Kelly is buried at Killanne graveyard at the foot of The Blackstairs.

Verse 2:
Tell me! Who is that gi-ant with the gold cur-ling hair. Rid-ing out at the head_ of your band?
Sev-en fet is g]his height with some inch-es to spare, And he looks like a king_ in com-mand,
O, my lads, that the pridd of the bold Shel-a-liers, ’Mong our great-est of he-roes, a man!
Fling your Beav-ers a-loft and give three rin-ing cheers For John Kel-ly, the Boy_ from Kil-lane.
Verse 3:
En-nis-Cor-thy’s in flames and old Wex-ford is won, And the Bar-row to-mor-row we’ll cross!
On a hill o’er the town we have plan-ted a gun. That will bat-ter the gate - ways of Ross!
All the Forth men and bar-gy men__ March o’er the heath, With brave Har-vey to lead on the van;
But the fore-most of all in the grim gap of death Will be Kel-ly the Boy_ from Kil-lane.
Verse 4:
But the gold sun of free-dom grew dark-ened at Ross, And it set by the Slav-ney’s red waves;
And poor Wex-ford stripped na-ked hung high on a cross, And her heart pierced by trai - tors and slaves.
Glo-ry O! Glo=ry O! To her brave sons who died For the cause of long down-tord-den man;
Glory O! Glory O! To Mount Lein-ster’s own dar-ling and pride daunt-less Kel-ly the Boy_ from Kil-lane.

Words and music by Patrick Joseph McCall (1861-1919)