The Spirit of the Nation/A Rally for Ireland. May, 1689
A RALLY FOR IRELAND.
MAY, 1689.
I.
Shout it out, till it ring
From Benmore to Cape Clear;
For our Country, and King,
And Religion so dear,
Rally, rally—Irishmen! rally;
Form round the flag, that wet with our tears,
And torn, and bloody, lay hid for long years,
And now once again in its pride re-appears.
See from The Castle our Green Banner waves!
Bearing fit motto for up-rising slaves!
For "Now or Never, Now and for Ever,"
Bids you to battle for triumph, or graves.
And the grave holds no slave,
Death unfetters the brave.
Then rally, rally, Irishmen! rally.
Shout "Now or Never, Now and for Ever,"
Fight to the last and ye cannot be slaves!
II.
M'Carthy, and Hamilton—
Are they not here?
Talbot, Berwick, and Sheldon—
Why should we fear?
And French men—all staunch men,
Boisleau, and Pontée, Pusignan, and Rosen;
And soon we shall have the stout Count Lauzun,
And Baldearg O'Donnell—the promis'd and chosen.
From Shannon to Ban, from Liffey to Lee,
The country is rising for Liberty.
Though your arms are rude, if your courage be good,
As the traitors fled, shall the strangers flee
From another Iveagh, and another Claudy
Arm, peasant and lord;
Grasp musket and sword;
Grasp pike, scythe, or skein; give the war-horse the rein;
March, shoulder to shoulder, for Liberty!
III.
Old Schomberg and Churchill
Are coming here;
Bloody Kirk, and Dutch Will—
Yet never ye fear;
For our Feis[1] has met—they're a princely set:
De Courcy, O'Neill, Plunkett, MacDonnell,
Burke, Byrne, Nagle, St. Lawrence, O'Donnell—
The choice of the land from Cork to Tyrconnell!
They'll break the last link of the Saxon chain;
They'll give us back our lands again.
Then up ye and fight for your king and right—
Laws are vain, unless swords maintain;
If freedom you'd gain, be victors or slain.
Then rally, rally, Irishmen rally!
Fight "Now or Never,
Now and for Ever:"
Win freedom, and wear it, or die on the plain!
- ↑ The Irish name for a Council or Parliament.