The Other Little Boats

A pause came in the fighting and England held her breath

For the battle was not ended and the ending might be death

Then out they came, the little boats, from all the Channel shores

Free men were these who set the sails and laboured at the oars.

From Itchenor and Shoreham, from Deal and Winchelsea,

They put out into the Channel to keep their country free.

 

Not of Dunkirk this story, but of boatmen long ago,

When our Queen was Gloriana and King Philip was our foe,

And galleons rode the narrow seas, and Effingham and Drake

Were out of shot and powder, with all England still at stake.

 

They got the shot and powder, they charged the guns again,

The guns that guarded England from the galleons of Spain,

And the men that helped them do it,

helped them still to hold the sea

Men from Itchenor and Shoreham, men from Deal and Winchelsea,

Looked out happily from heaven and cheered to see the work

Of their grandsons' grandsons' grandsons

on the beaches of Dunkirk.

 

Edward Shanks

 

 

 

The One Road
We're on the one road
Sharing the one load
We're on the road to God knows where
We're on the one road
It may be the wrong road
But we're together now who cares
North men, South men, comrades all
Dublin, Belfast, Cork and Donegal
We're on the one road swinging along
Singing a soldier's song

Though we've had our troubles now and then
Now is the time to make them up again
Sure aren't we all Irish anyhow
Now is the time to step together now

We're on the one road
Sharing the one load
We're on the road to God knows where
We're on the one road
It may be the wrong road
But we're together now who cares
North men, South men, comrades all
Dublin, Belfast, Cork and Donegal
We're on the one road swinging along
Singing a soldier's song

Tinker, tailor, every mother's son
Butcher, baker shouldering his gun
Rich man, poor man, every man in line
All together just like Old Lang Syne

We're on the one road
Sharing the one load
We're on the road to God knows where
We're on the one road
It may be the wrong road
But we're together now who cares
North men, South men, comrades all
Dublin, Belfast, Cork and Donegal
We're on the one road swinging along
Singing a soldier's song

Night is darkest just before the dawn
From dissention Ireland is reborn
Soon we'll all be United Irishmen
Make our land a Nation Once Again

We're on the one road
Sharing the one load
We're on the road to God knows where
We're on the one road
It may be the wrong road
But we're together now who cares
North men, South men, comrades all
Dublin, Belfast, Cork and Donegal
We're on the one road swinging along
Singing a soldier's song

 

 

The Dubliners

 

James Connolly

A great crowd had gathered outside of Kilmainham,
With their heads all uncovered,they knelt on the ground.
For inside that grim prison,lay a brave Irish soldier,
His life for his country about to lay down.

He went to his death like a true son of Ireland,
The firing party he bravely did face.
Then the order rang out:'Present arms,Fire!'
James Connolly fell into a ready made grave.

The black flag they hoisted,the cruel deed was over,

Gone was the man who loved Ireland so well. There was many a sad heart in Dublin that morning, When they murdered James Connolly,the Irish rebel. Many years have gone by since the Irish rebellion, When the guns of Brittania they loudly did speak. And the bold I.R.A they stood shoulder to shoulder, And the blood from their bodies flowed down Sackville Street. The Four Courts of Dublin,the British bombarded, The spirit of freedom,they tried hard to quell, But above all the din,came the cry:'No surrender!' 'Twas the voice of James Connolly,the Irish rebel.

 

The Dubliners

 

 

 

The men behind the wire Armoured cars and tanks and guns Came to take away our sons But every man must stand behind The men behind the wire Through the little streets of Belfast In the dark of early morn British soldiers came marauding Breaking little homes with scorn Heedless of the crying children Dragging fathers from their beds Beating sons while helpless mothers Watch the blood flow from their heads Armoured cars and tanks and guns Came to take away our sons But every man must stand behind The men behind the wire Not for them a judge or jury Or indeed a trial at all Being Irish means they're guilty So we're guilty one and all 'Round the world the truth will echo Cromwell's men are here again England's name again is sullied In the eyes of honest men Armoured cars and tanks and guns Came to take away our sons But every man must stand behind The men behind the wire Proudly march behind our banner Proudly march behind our men We will have them free to help us Build a Nation Once Again On the people, step together Proudly marching on our way Never fear, never falter Till the boys are home to stay   Armoured cars and tanks and guns Came to take away our sons But every man must stand behind The men behind the wire   The Dubliners

Irene