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I joined the Flying Column in 1916 In Cork with Seán Moylan, Tipperary with Dan Breen Arrested by Free Staters and sentenced for to die Farewell to Tipperary said the Galtee Mountain Boy We crossed pleasant valleys and over the hilltops green Where we met with Dinny Lacey, Seán Hogan and Dan Breen Seán Moylan and his gallant band they kept the flag flying high Farewell to Tipperary said the Galtee Mountain Boy We crossed the Dublin mountains we were rebels on the run Though hunted night and morning we were outlawed but free men We tracked the Wicklow mountains as the sun was shining high Farewell to Tipperary said the Galtee Mountain Boy I'm bidding farewell to old Clonmel that I never more will see And to the Galtee mountains that oft times sheltered me To the men who fought for liberty and died without a sigh May the cause be ne'er forgotten said the Galtee Mountain Boy IrishHistory1952 wrote of this song... Surely the "historical" references are less important than the song as "generic". "Down the glen rode Sarsfields Men and they wore the Jackets GREEN"......well actually they had RED uniforms. "Clares Dragoons" ...."for Spanish STEED and sabre bright".......but it was an INFANTRY regiment. ... in towering crag our fathers fought before us and "conquered neath the same old flag thats proudly fluttering oer us"......er where was this historic crag exactly? This is symbolism obviously. All nation building requires a little symbolism. Surely that's the point - not 26 county revisionism. adapted from... www.triskelle.eu/lyrics/galtee Some onfusion. Firstly there is the claim of the main character that he joined the Flying Column in 1916. This is not possible because the concept of flying columns did not materialise before 1917. Beside this historical imperfection, the story line is a bit surprising. This is caused by the fourth verse which was added by Christy Moore long after Patsy Halloran had written the first three verses. A puzzling intervention because this additional verse adds nothing to the song, other than its further politisation (and some that Christy Moore extended the song solely for the purpose of creating a standard four minute track). The last confusing bit is that the song seems to refer to a real person. In our guest book you can find an entry of someone claiming that his uncle was the Galtee Mountain Boy. Obviously we immediately requested him to sent more information, but unfortunately the email address provided was fake. It is commonly accepted though that the Galtee Mountain Boy is a fictitious character. The Galtee Mountain Boy might be an imaginary character, the men mentioned in the song are definitely not fictitious. All of them were well-known members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in the Tipperary - Cork area during the War of Independence and the Civil War. Seán Hogan and Dan Breen were part of the group which seized a cart load of gelignite, or gelly, and detonators near Soloheadbeg in County Tipperary on 21 January 1919. Two officers of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) got killed in what is known as the Soloheadbeg Ambush. The ambush at Soloheadbeg marked the beginning of the War of Independence. After the ambush Seán Hogan and Dan Breen were on the run. Hogan was arrested in May 1919, but freed near Knocklong by members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), among which Dan Breen, when he was transported from Thurles to stand trail in Cork. In June 1921, only a few weeks before the end of the War of Independence, Ned Foley and Patrick Maher were executed for the killing of two police escorts during the Knocklong Rescue. Seán Hogan, who was wounded during his escape, recovered and fought in the Civil War against the Free Staters. Dan Breen managed to avoid being arrested, although once he sustained 22 bullet wounds in a shootout with the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC). Like Seán Hogan Breen opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty and fought in the Irish Republican Army (IRA). He was arrested by Free Staters during the Civil War and imprisoned in Mountjoy Prison, from which he was released after a hunger and thirst strike. After the Civil War Dan Breen went into politics until his retirement in 1965. Dinny Lacey was commander of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in the south of County Tipperary and was killed in an ambush by members of the Free State Army on 18 February 1923. And, last but not least, Seán Moylan was leader of the North Cork Brigade of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). After the Civil War Seán Moylan was actively involved in the founding of Fianna Fáil. One of Moylan's greatest political achievements was that he persuaded the anti-Treaty side in the Republic of Ireland to put down the weapons and to enter politics. Christy Moore & John Faulkner - Galtee Mountain Boy- Siar an Bóthar - 31-8-07 www.tg4.ie - En sub - [Aisling Gheal - Bright Vision] 143716