The Battleship Sinn Féin

le Johnny Tom Gleeson (cumadóir ‘The Bould Thady Quill’)

Sung to the tune of ‘The Wearing of the Green’

Whilst strolling round my Atlantic home in the merry month of May
A sailor boy I chanced to meet on the shore of Quincy Bay.
I thought he was a mariner from the fleets of France or Spain
Till I saw on his breast an emerald crest te Gaelic words Sinn Féin

With a joyful heart I welcomed him and grasped him by the hand.
Said, “My boy, what brought you here into Columbia Strand?
Has Gráinne Mhaol thrown off her yoke in mountain glen or plain
What means this crest on your manly breast this magic word Sinn Féin?”

Quoth he, “I am an envoy from Our Mother Rosaleen.
I seek my exiled brethern, be they orange, white or green.
I am an ancient Irish Irelander; I am Diarmuid Óg Ó Rinn,
A loyal tar on the man of war, The Battleship Sinn Féin.”

Says I, “My little sailor boy, I’m anxious; tell me pray,
Where is the favourite Anchorage wherein your good ship lay?
I am longing to behold the guns that will end the tyrants reign
I’d climb the bars and kiss the tars in the Battleship Sinn Féin.”

Says he, “The ship whose name I bear is not in the Ocean Crest.
It throbs with the pulsations of each Irish patriot’s breast.
Our motto ‘self reliance’ being, from anchor, rope or chain,
Our Gaelic Creed giving power and speed to the Battleship Sinn Féin.”

“God bless, you little sailor boy,” I murmured through my tears.
“You brought the only ray of hope I’ve had these forty years.”
“I’ll go aboard your gallant ship; until death I will remain.
I’m a loyal tar on the Man of War, the Battleship Sinn Féin.”

The Bould Thady Quill

Rugadh Tadhg Ó Cuíll (Thady Quill) d’fheirmeoir i mbaile fearainn Carraig an Ghiolla i bparróiste Bhaile na Graí le hais Máigh Chromtha sa bhliain 1860. Spailpín agus ar an gcor uair, braigléir ab ea é agus bhí sé caol ard, iomadúil láidir agus ina bhabhlálaí maith. Seachas an méid sin, níor dhuine eisceachtúil é. De réir deallraimh, bhí fonn air go mbeadh a ainm i mbéal an phobail i ndiaidh a bháis, agus mar íocaíocht ar obair a dhein sé do Tom Gleeson, feirmeoir ón Reidhleán agus scríbhneoir amhrán agus amhránaí aitheanta, d’iarr sé air bailéad a scríobh air. Is dán il-véarsach spreagtha, le curfá spreagúil, sa traidisiún scig-ghaisciúil é ‘The Bould Thady Quill’. Deineann sé ceiliúradh ar Thady mar dhiúgaire iontach, fear spóirt il-taobhach, iománaí thar na beartaibh, leannán grámhar, gníomhaire Connradh na Talmhan, óráidí agus parlaiminteoir Parnelleach. Cumtha sna 1880idí déanacha, níor tháinig an t-amhrán chun cinn go dtí na 1940idí. Chanadh Jack Lynch, iar-Thaoiseach na tíre é go minic. Tá leaganacha de sa Ghaoluinn agus sa Fhraincís. d’Éag Thady ar an 23ú lá Deireadh Fómhar 1932 agus tú sé curtha i reilig Naomh Colmáin, Máigh Chromtha, áit atá leac dó le feiscint fós.

D’aistrigh Tomás Ó Cuíll an t-amhrán seo go Gaoluinn agus tá sé ar fáil anseo

You maids of Duhallow who’re anxious for courting
A word of advice I will give unto thee
Go down to Banteer to the athletic races
And hand in your name to the club committee
But do not arrange any part of your programme
Till a carriage you see coming over the hill
A-flying through the valleys and glens of Kilcorney
The Muskerry sportsman, the bold Thady Quill

Refrain:
For rambling, for roving, for football or sporting
For drinking black porter as fast as you’d fill
In all your days roving you’d find none so jovial
As the Muskerry sportsman, the bold Thady Quill

Bold Thady was famous in all sorts of places.
At the athletic races held down at Cloghroe
He won the long jumps without throwing off his waistcoat
Going twenty four feet every sweep he would throw.
In throwing the long weights there was a Dublin chap foremost.
But our Muskerry sportsman succeeded him still.
All round the field went a loud ringing chorus,
Fad saoil agus glór duit, a Thaidhgín Uí Chuíll

(Refrain)

Bold Thady was famous in all sorts of places.
At sports and at races he is very well known
He’s that only young gamester can coax all the ladies
From Bantry bay to the County Tyrone.
There is not a woman from Kerry to Coachford
But is mad to elope with you right with their will
There is no man in Duhallow, Kanturk or Kilcorney,
Can ballplay or goal with you bold Thady Quill

(Refrain)

At the great hurling match between Cork and Tipperary
Twas played in the park by the banks of the Lee
Our own darling boys, being afraid of being beaten
They sent for bold Thady to Ballinagree
He hurled the ball right and then left in their faces
And showed the Tipperary boys courage and skill
When they touched on their lines he would manfully brave them
And the papers were filled with the praise of Thade Quill

(Refrain)

At a Cork exhibition there was a fair lady
Whose fortune exceeded a million or more
But a bad constitution had ruined her completely
And medical treatment had failed over and oer
Yerra mama, says she, sure I know what will cure me
Of this awful disease that is liable to kill
Give over your doctors and medical tratement
I’d rather one squeeze from the bold Thady Quill

(Refrain)

On his rambles through Kerry his story was painful
He witnessed quite plainly the flames of Glenbeigh,
The evictions of Hussey near Sneem and Kenmare
And he challenged Lord Clare in the town of Tralee.
He loaded his rifle and swore that be Jaysus
That right through their brains he would drive the contents,
If they dared to continue their savage outrages-
Those big bellied bears that are raising the rents

(Refrain)

In the year forty nine when Parnell was taken
Thady was rageously braking the peace
He spent three long years in the jails of Kilmainham
And six months hard labour for besting police
In spite of coercion he still agitated
And the blood of his veins he is willing to spill
To secure for old Éireann the right of a nation
Until such is obtained there’s no peace for Tim Quill.

(Refrain)

There was an old phrophecy came to light lately
And stated young Thady would shortly be seen
In Parliament pleading the rights of old Éireann,
With Parnell our Chairman in famed College Green.
And the dear Harp of Tara, that’s silent for ages,
Once more shall awaken its liveliest trill
And sing forth triumphant, old Ireland a nation,
“Long live the Land Leagus and our hero, Thade Quill.

(Refrain)