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The Bold Belfast Shoemaker 
The Bold Belfast Shoemaker 
Come all you true born Irishmen wherever you may be I hope you'll pay attention and listen unto me I am a bold shoemaker, Sam Irwin is my name And to my great misfortune I enlisted in the train 
I had a fair young sweetheart, Jane Wilkin was her name She said it grieved her heart full sore to see me in the train She told me if I would desert to come and let her know She would dress me up in her old clothes that I might go to and fro 
We marched to Chapelizod like heroes stout and bold I'll be no more a slave to you my officer I told For to work upon a Sunday with me does not agree And the first chance that occurs to me, I'll take my liberty 
Encamped near Tipperary we soon got in command For me and for me comrades bold one night on guard did stand The night it being both wet and dark and so we did agree That on that very night brave boys we'd take our liberty 
The night that I deserted I had no place to go I went into meadow and lay down in the hay It was not long that I lay there till I awake again And looking all around me, boys, I spied six of the train 
We had a bloody battle and soon I beat them all And loud the dastard cowards for mercy then did call Saying spare our lives brave Irwin and we will follow thee And by all that's fair we will declare for you and liberty 
As for George Clarke of Carrick I own he's very mean For the sake of thirty shillings he had me took again They threw me in the guard house, me fate for to deplore With four on every window, boys, and six on every door 
On being in close confinement, I soon looked all around I climbed out of a window and knocked four of them down The light horse and the train me boys, they soon did follow me But I kept me road before them and preserved my liberty 
I next joined Father Murphy as you will plainly hear 
And many's the battle did we fight with his brave Shelmaliers With four hundred of his croppy boys we battered Lord Mountjoy And at the battle of New Ross we made ten thousand fly 
I am a bold shoemaker, Sam Irwin is my name I could beat as many Orangemen as 'listed in the train I could beat as many Orangemen as would stand in a row I'd make them fly before me like an arrow from a bow. 
Given in O'Lochlainn's "Irish Street Ballads". MR apr97