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Father Murphy 
Father Murphy 
Come all you warriors and renowned nobles Give ear unto my warlike theme While I relate how brave Father Murphy He lately roused from his sleepy dream Sure Julius Caesar nor Alexander Nor brave King Arthur ever equalled him For armies formidable he did conquer Though with two pikemen he did begin 
Camolin cavalry he did unhorse them Their first lieutenant he cut him down With shattered ranks and with broken columns They soon returned to Camolin town At the hill of Oulart he displayed his valour Where a hundred Corkmen lay on the plain At Enniscorthy his sword he wielded And I hope to see him once more again 
When Enniscorthy became subject unto him Twas then to Wexford we marched our men And on the Three Rock took up our quarters Waiting for daylight the town to win The loyal townsmen gave their assistance We will die or conquer they all did say The yeomen cavalry made no resistance, For on the pavement their corpses lay 
With drums a-beating the town did echo And acclamations came from door to door On the Windmill Hill we pitched our tents then We drank like heroes but paid no score On Carraig Rua for some time we waited And next to Gorey we did repair At Tubberneering we thought no harm The bloody army was waiting there 
The issue of it was a close engagement While on the soldiers we played warlike pranks Through the sheepwalks, hedgerows and shady thickets There were mangled bodies and broken ranks The shuddering cavalry, I can't forget them 
We raised the brushes on their helmets straight They turned about and made straight for Dublin As though they ran for a ten pound plate 
Now, some crossed Donnybrook and more through Blackrock And some up Shankhill without wound or flaw And if Barry Lawless be not a liar There was more went groaning up Luggela To the Windmill Hill of Enniscorthy, The British Fencibles they fled like deers But our ranks were tattered and sorely scattered By the loss o Kyan and his Shelamaliers 
The streets of England were left quite naked Of all their army both foot and horse The Highlands Scotland were left unguarded Likewise the Hessians the seas did cross But if the Frenchmen had reinforced us And landed transports at Baginbun Father John Murphy, he would be their seconder And sixteen thousand with him would come 
Success attend you sweet County Wexford Threw off the yoke and to battle run Let them not think we gave up our arms For every man still has a pike and gun 
Another fine song from O'Lochlainn's "Irish Street Ballads". MR apr97