Lyrics
Oh, come all ye gallant Irishmen
And a story I'll relate
I'll tell to you of the Fenian
Men who from the foe escaped
Though bound with Saxon chains in
A dark Australian jail
They struck a blow for freedom and
For New York town set sail
On the seventeenth of April in
The year of 'eighty-three
The gallant bark Catalpa from
Fremantle town did flee
She showed The Green above The Red
As she calmly made her way
Prepared to take those Fenian men
To safety o'er the sea
Here's to the ship Catalpa and
The boys of Uncle Sam
And to all the Irishmen afloat and
The Fenians to a man
Here's to Captain Anthony
Bold Breslin and his crew
When challenged by the Empire's might
The stars and stripes she flew!
Then Breslin and brave Desmond and Catalpa
Taut and trim
When fast approachin' them they saw
A vision dark and dim
It was the gun-boat Georgette among
Their deck there stood
One hundred hired assassins to
Shed the patriot blood
My ship is sailin' peacefully beneath
A flag of stars
It's manned by Irish hearts of
Oak and manly Yankee tars
And that dear emblem to the fore
So plain for to be seen
'Tis the banner to protect o' mine
Ol' Ireland's flag of green
Here's to the ship Catalpa and
The boys of Uncle Sam
And to all the Irishmen afloat and
The Fenians to a man
Here's to Captain Anthony
Bold Breslin and his crew
When challenged by the Empire's might
The stars and stripes she flew!
One hundred years have passed and gone
Since the day in New York bay
All sorts of floats and ships and boats
Were there, hip-hip hooray!
They say the day three-thousand
Men about the rescue, knew
Not a word was spoke and it was some joke
On John Bull's navy, too
And here's to Captain Anthony who
Well these men did free
He dared the English navy men to
Fight 'em on the sea to John Devoy
His name held high and all friends to be seen
The flag for which our heroes fought
Was Ireland's flag of green
Here's to the ship Catalpa and
The boys of Uncle Sam
And to all the Irishmen afloat and
The Fenians to a man
Here's to Captain Anthony
Bold Breslin and his crew
When challenged by the Empire's might
The stars and stripes she flew!
Here's to the ship Catalpa and
The boys of Uncle Sam
And to all the Irishmen afloat and
The Fenians to a man
Here's to Captain Anthony
Bold Breslin and his crew
When challenged by the Empire's might
The stars and stripes she flew!
BARDIS MUSIC, USA ATTN: PETER BARDON