Ard Ri Na Heirann

A tale of honor I will now tell
About a man, strong and true
Brian Boru was his name
And through his deeds a nation grew
He was born in a time of bondage
The viking raiders claimed his lands
His hatred grew when he saw his mother
Killing by vicious viking hands

His brother Mahon strived for peace
Brian knew it would never come
The vikings have us by the throat!
They kill our children just for
Boru left with a group of men
They rode into the fading light
He would attack the many viking camps
And vanish in the dark of night

Brian Boru, our beloved son
Fought the Dane, he fought and won
Losy his life at eighty eight
Death by a viking blade was his fate

Brian Boru, our last Ard Ri
Led the Gael to victory
Could not stand his countries plight
He removed the vikings from his sight

Malachy, the king of Meath, with Brian face to face
They both agreed that Brian should take
The monarchy of the Gaelic race
Brian had much word to do
To heal the wounds of Danish reign
He planned a massive call to arms
To remove the last of the Dane

To Clontarf Brian's army marched
To give the Dane their final fight
The army charged with swords help high
The viking line was soon in sight
The battle rages for many hours
And many fine warriors fell
But victory was always ours
The Gaelic might could not be quelled

Brian Boru, our beloved son
Fought the Dane, he fought and won
Losy his life at eighty eight
Death by a viking blade was his fate

Brian Boru, our last Ard Ri
Led the Gael to victory
Could not stand his countries plight
He removed the vikings from his sight

Viking Slayer

I watch the sky turning black
And know the time is fast approaching
My clan they all look to me
I turn away, I face the ocean
In the dark I see a fleet of long-ships on the horizon
Again the Vikings come, to this land they are a poison

Archers ready your bows, swordsmen ready your blades
Gods be with us this night, as we stop this barbarian raids
Their boats now pulled to shore
Scrawny men pour forth from the hull
Their faces look ailing and drawn
But their minds are bent on the cull

On they come, these viking raiders, pale and grey
With withered bodies and swords to slay
Charging forth, from filthy ships, towards our line
But we are butchers and they are our swine

By ready men, they fast approach, the time is here
Stand firm at your line and show to fear
From the north, this army comes, to raid our lands
But instead tonight they will die by Gaelic hands

I give the call to attack, and we charge towards the Vikings
Arrows scream over head, and begin this night of killing
I watch as the armies collide, flesh and bone gets torn asunder
So many of my warriors die, as they stop viking plunder

In the distance I see, their leader so wretched and vile
Leading his men with pride, I see his weakness and I smile
Caught up in his stupor of greed, I slice his head from his neck
His cowardly men run away, victory is ours this day

Some Say The Devil Is Dead

Some say the devil is dead, the devil is dead, the devil is dead
Some say the devil is dead, and buried in Killarney
More say he rose again, more say he rose again
More say he rose again and joined the British Army

Feed the pigs and milk the cow, and milk the cow, and milk the cow
Feed the pigs and milk the cow, early in the morning
Cock your leg, oh Paddy dear, Paddy dear I'm over here
Cock your leg, oh Paddy dear, it's time to stop your yawning

Some say the devil is dead, the devil is dead, the devil is dead
Some say the devil is dead, and buried in Killarney
More say he rose again, more say he rose again
More say he rose again and joined the British Army

Katie she is tall and thin, she's tall and thin, and tall and thin
Katie she is tall and thin, and like her drops of brandy
Drinks it in the bed each night, drinks it in the bed each night
Drinks it in the bed each night, it makes her nice and randy

Some say the devil is dead, the devil is dead, the devil is dead
Some say the devil is dead, and buried in Killarney
More say he rose again, more say he rose again
More say he rose again and joined the British Army

The wife she has the hairy thing, a hairy thing, a hairy thing
The wife she has the hairy thing, she showed it to me on Sunday
She bought it in the furrier's shop, bought it in the furrier's shop
She bought it in the furriers's shop, it's going back on Monday

Some say the devil is dead, the devil is dead, the devil is dead
Some say the devil is dead, and buried in Killarney
More say he rose again, more say he rose again
More say he rose again and joined the British Army

My one's over six feet tall, six feet tall, six feet tall
My one's over six feet tall, she likes the sugar candy
Goes to bed at six o'clock, goes to bed at six o'clock
Goes to bed at six o'clock, she's lazy, fat and dandy

Some say the devil is dead, the devil is dead, the devil is dead
Some say the devil is dead, and buried in Killarney
More say he rose again, more say he rose again
More say he rose again and joined the British Army

1000 Years

As I look out across the sea
I stand proud but am I free?
A thousand years have come and gone
I have won, I will go on
Stand firm against the storm
I cannot see it but it will come
And with the ghosts of a million Gaels
I will rise up, I will prevail

You can starve my children
You can kill my fighting man
Take away my right to freedom
And when my back is turned you kill again
You can burn my houses
Take away all that I have known
But the seeds are sown

When the Dane invaded
The held the Gael with a strangle-hold
Until Boru joined to clans
He won the war, re-claimed my lands
My green fields have been stained red
From the blood of the Irish dead
But with this fire that burns inside
I will always rebel, I will survive

You can starve my children
You can kill my fighting man
Take away my right to freedom
And when my back is turned you kill again
You can burn my houses
Take away all that I have known
But the seeds are sown

Erinsong

I am the wind that blows over the sea
I am the wave of the ocean
I am the murmur of the billows
I am the ox of the seven combats
I am a vulture on the rock
I am a ray of the sun
I am the fairest of plants
I am a wild boar in valour

Come with me, I'll show you eternity
This magical ring, it holds the key to everything
Our faerie land, the forests and mountains you see
Created by magic, cast from the Gods and the Sidhe

I am a salmon in the water
I am a lake in the plain
I am the craft of the artificer
I am a word of science
I am the god that creates
In the head of man the fire of thought
I am the spear-point cast in battle
I am the druid, I am the God

Come with me, I'll show you eternity
This magical ring, it holds the key to everything
Our faerie land, the forests and mountains you see
Who shows the place where the sun goes to rest if not I?

The Fall Of Gondolin

The most beautiful city built on the middle-earth
It's splendour was highly acclaimed
The Noldor Elf grew mighty and strong
In the land were Turgon Reigned
Then Tuor was sent by Ulmo
The lord of the ocean and sea
To tell the people of Gondolin
Prepare to fight or flee

But Turgon he was stubborn
"That will I not do!"
He had grown to love his city
And the terror of Morgoth he knew

The city was discovered
And Morgoth sent his legions
Orc warriors with the fire-drakes
Led by the Balrog demons

They appeared before the gates and quickly the Gates fell
The way was now clear, through the Elven halls
The orcs of such hatred poured into the breath
With scimitars they stabbed both man and beast

The Noldor Elf advanced with hammer of wrath
And the kindred of the tree-bravely they fought
The blows from their hammers, the dint of their clubs
The orcs fell like leaves but this was not enough

The lord of the Balrogs gathered his demons
And made for the folk of the hammer
They fled in terror rather than of craft
Down in the plain they all gathered
But the fire-drake was loosed upon them
In the house of the hammer they died
Still it is sung that each Elf of the hammer
Took the lives of seven orcs to pay for their own

Gothmog drove the dragons into the cities heart
Orcs and Noldor fell under the confusion
The cold-drakes began to tear the streets apart
The Noldor began to realise the battle they'd lose

The most beautiful city built on the middle-earth
It's splendour was highly acclaimed
The Noldor Elf grew mighty and strong
In the land were Turgon Reigned
But now it lay akin to ruins
As the fire devoured its insides
The last hope for the Elves who lived
Was to run and flee abd hide

But Turgon was a noble king
"That will I not do!"
He stayed to die in the city
The only one he knew!

Shelob

A tyrant so evil, so nasty, so vile,
a beast with no mercy or heart.
She will lead you in with a sinister grin,
and then she will tear you apart.

Her fiendish fangs will rip and bite.
Her cruel claws will hold you tight.
This sickly spider will rip your skin
and poison you from within.

Her horrible reign has lasted an age;
yet no one will challenge her rule.
She lives un-checked in her cave of web,
so brutal, malicious and cruel.

But a traveller came from the north one day,
so innocent, caring and kind.
Blind walked the traveller into the cave,
unaware of what he might find.

The beast attacked with all its might.
The traveller ran from its sight.
He pierced the creature, a painful strike,
then ran from the cave in fright.

Now the beast remains in her cave of hate
claiming victims whenever she can,
but not our hero, who came from the north.
Stronger is he since he ran.

A tyrant so evil, so nasty, so vile,
a beast with no mercy or heart.
She will lead you in with a sinister grin,
and then she will tear you apart.

Her fiendish fangs will rip and bite.
Her cruel claws will hold you tight.
This sickly spider will rip your skin
and poison you from within.

Her horrible reign has lasted an age;
yet no one will challenge her rule.
She lives un-checked in her cave of web,
so brutal, malicious and cruel.

But a traveller came from the north one day,
so innocent, caring and kind.
Blind walked the traveller into the cave,
unaware of what he might find.

The beast attacked with all its might.
The traveller ran from its sight.
He pierced the creature, a painful strike,
then ran from the cave in fright.

Now the beast remains in her cave of hate
claiming victims whenever she can,
but not our hero, who came from the north.
Stronger is he since he ran.

The Brown Bull Of Cooley

Maeve was a queen with a passion for war.
She had riches and wealth, but still wanted more.
She wanted the bull that dwelled in Cooley -
a magnificent beast that she longed to see.

Maeve was a queen with a passion for war.
She had riches and wealth, but still wanted more.
She longed for the bull that dwelled in Cooley -
a magnificent beast that she longed to see.

The men of Ulster would not concur.
“No one shall threaten us, certainly not her!”
She gathers her armies she looks to the north.
On the eve of the solstice, the armies march forth.

The men of Ulster would not concur.
“No one shall threaten us, certainly not her!”
She gathers her armies she looks to the north.
On the eve of the solstice, the armies march forth.

Maeve is warned by a faerie prophet:
she had a vision of evil, malice and death.
“This cannot be, as anyone will tell,
the men of Ulster are held by an ancient spell.”

But true this news was and here I will tell why -
Ulster’s defender was merely a boy.
Cuchulainn was his name; he was free from the curse.
Single combat was arranged and he would fight first.

He slays many soldiers through the day and night.
No matter whom he faces, Cuchulainn wins the fight.
He is watched by The Morrigan, the Goddess of war.
Love grows in her heart as she views from afar.

The combat continues, Cuchulainn kills with spite,
until his old friend Ferdiad enters the fight.
Cuchulainn kills Ferdiad, with a slash of his sword.
He feels sad and angry and will fight no more.

The combat continues, Cuchulainn kills with spite,
until his old friend Ferdiad enters the fight.
Cuchulainn kills Ferdiad, with a slash of his sword.
He feels sad and angry and will fight no more.

Cuchulainn’s father then rode to the North,
to Eamhain Macha, King Conchobar’s fort.
“Men are being killed, women carried away!”
He called to the warriors who were in disarray.

Cuchulainn’s father then rode to the North,
to Eamhain Macha, King Conchobar’s fort.
“Men are being killed, women carried away!”
Their lines are broken, in disarray.

An accident happened and his head was cut off,
but continued to speak and choke and cough.
This spectacle brings Ulster out of its spell;
they go to Cuchulainn and Ulster fights well.

Maeve has been defeated and to Connaught he returns,
but there is a twist to this tale, a very strange turn.
She captured the bull and brought it to Cruachan.
It killed her own bull and in the morning was gone.

The Great Hunger

We are alone in this cursed land, left to die like starving dogs.
Our crops have failed us yet again; nothing grows in this desolate bog.
I hold my daughter in my arms. She is too weak to stand or walk.
Her face is gaunt, her belly empty; she cannot see, she cannot talk.

What money I had has all been spent, on bread and milk and bloody rent.
They take from us all that we have, these bastards that from Hell were sent.
My wife is dead. My home is lost, all around me dead and dying.
I grip my child, I hold her tight. I must go on, I must keep trying.

To the harbour is where I plan to go, to escape the land I love so dear.
The English are the rulers here. They eat their fill. The have no fear.
I look to the heavens and shout aloud “What has poor Ireland done?”
The world looks on and sees us starve, dying one by one.

My strength has failed, I can’t go on. Beside my daughter I lay.
Some bread or corn could save her life. All I can do is pray.
I hold her hand and wipe a tear as I watch a new day dawn.
My daughter seems so peaceful now; to heaven she is gone.

 The Old Woman In The Woods

There was an old woman and she lived in the woods, weile weile waile.
There was an old woman and she lived in the woods, down by the river Saile.
She had a baby three months old, weile weile waile.
She had a baby three months old, down by the river Saile.
She had a pen knife, long and sharp, weile weile waile.
She had a pen knife, long and sharp, down by the river Saile.
She stuck the pen knife in the baby’s heart, weile weile waile.
She stuck the pen knife in the baby’s heart, down by the river Saile.
There were three loud knocks come a’knocking on the door, weile weile waile.
There were three loud knocks come a’knocking on the door, down by the river
Saile.
There were two policemen and a special-branchman, weile weile waile.
There were two policemen and a special-branchman, down by the river Saile.
They put a rope around her neck, weile weile waile.
They put a rope around her neck, down by the river Saile.
They pulled the rope and she got hung, weile weile waile.
They pulled the rope and she got hung, down by the river Saile.
And that was the end of the woman in the woods, weile weile waile.
And that was the end of the baby too, down by the river Saile.