Oh father, dear, I oft times here you speak of Erin’s isle And the sturdy Sons of Dublin, who defend us far and wide But what about old Belfast where, some awful sites were seen Because their sons would not deny the orange white and green It happened in this country not many years ago When the blood of gallant Irish men down Dublin Streets did flow Was the Easter week rebellion and our rebels took a blow The cause been Irish freedom in the blazing GPO From Dublin down to Belfast came The real old Gaelic way Was orders from headquarters for to join in the affray A murder was committed we were driven to despair When a band of orange specials, they did murder, Willie Kerr They took him from his humble home, these villains for to slay And they also took along with him McBride and Halfpenny They took them all across a field before the dawn of day When they were found next morning all three had passed away Twas then the news went all around that we would surly scorn It was the hanging of young Barry on a cold November morn And not long after Barry died the tears that made us wail For our gallant Terrence McSweeney who died in Brixton jail But the latest of these murders there’s one will not forget To shoot an Irish family, this murder was well set It happened in the dead of night These villains armed with guns Began the wholesale murder of McMahon and his sons Their mother watched the slaughter of her own beloved ones And cried, sir do have mercy on my husband and my sons? They bid them all come down the stairs they have no more to dread When suddenly some shots rang out all and six of them fell dead So that is how the story goes that I have told to you But the boys who shot McMahon’s will see a day they’ll rue So all you Belfast Catholics, revenge but not with guns But pray the Lord have mercy on McMahon and his sons (Alexander McBride, William Kerr and Malachy Halfpenny 11/06/1921) (Owen McMahon, his 4 Sons and a barman 24/03/1922)
Submitted on: March 03, 2024
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