marching song of the irish volunteers

Irish Review (Dublin)

Marching Song of the Irish VolunteersAuthor(s): Thomas MacDonaghSource: The Irish Review (Dublin), Vol. 3, No. 34 (Dec., 1913), pp. 500-502Published by: Irish Review (Dublin)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30062969 .

Accessed: 15/06/2014 22:17

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

Irish Review (Dublin) is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Irish Review(Dublin).

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 195.34.79.174 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 22:17:41 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=irishrevdub

http://www.jstor.org/stable/30062969?origin=JSTOR-pdf

http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp


MARCHING SONG OF THE IRISH VOLUNTEERS

By THOMAS MAcDONAGH

I

Greater than word in any age The care of God for Ireland still:

Under His guidance we engage For Ireland now to work His will.

We have no hate for Irishman; We love our land from sea to sea;

And heed no mark of creed or clan- Ireland we claim, and Ireland free.

For Ireland, for Ireland, for Ireland all, O'ur ranks we band in might:

From her four seas we at Ireland's call In Ireland's cause unite,

And march to the hosting of Gael and Gall, To claim our Freedom's right.

When in the morn of time the Gael Saw Ireland rising o'er the foam,

He left his labouring oars to hail This lovely land, his destined home:

He loved this island's ancient grace, And here in glory long he throve:

His children's Gaelic pride of race Hallows the island of their love.

For Ireland, for Ireland .

500



MARCHING SONG OF THE IRISH VOLUNTEERS

III

A thousand years ago the Dane With raven banner swept the seas:

To win this land he sought in vain; Then left the ways of war for peace:

Tired of wayfaring here he found The welcome due to valiant foe:

The Viking stock on Irish ground Has grown and strongly still shall grow.

For Ireland, for Ireland . .

IV

The Norman came in evil hour, When Ireland's passion had begun:

And matched against an empire's power The clans were broken one by one;

But yielded not, and to this day Unconquered stand and wait the word:

The Norman took the Danish way, And Ireland's is the Norman sword.


V

The clans were broken but to weld Into one mighty Irish strength:

The Dane and Norman force were held To build the Irish race at length.

We Gael, we Dane, we Norman, now Have heard the word we waited long:

In arms we come and take this vow To make our country free and strong.

For Ireland, for Ireland . . .

501



THE IRISH REVIEW

VI

The Irish race, united, new, The youngest nation of the earth,

Shall to the elder race be true, And guard the glory of our birth:

Never for gain of praise or gold Our race has sold the sacred gift:

Unsullied still our right we hold, And Freedom's flag unstained we lift.


VII

Our fathers who foresaw the noon Unfurled this flag before the dawn:

Its fringes caught the light, but soon Back to the darkness it was drawn.

The dawn is come, the night is o'er: With joy we face the future years;

And now in Freedom's cause once more Arise the Irish Volunteers.


VIII

O sacred light of Liberty! O Nation hallowed by thy cause!

We hail the glorious destiny That comes with right of native laws.

O God, our Comfort in the night, Be still our Guardian in the day,

And lead Thy people in Thy sight To follow still Thine ancient way!

For Ireland, for Ireland . . .

502



marching song of the irish volunteers

Documents