The Croppy Boy (Traditional Irish) Raymond Bob at Fawkner Park

A song from the March 2026 concert of Irish songs at South Yarra Senior Centre in Fawkner Park. This Irish rebel song comes from the uprising of 1798. The rebels of this time were often known as "Croppies" as they wore their hair very short in the style of the French revolutionaries. Though wearing green was never actually a crime in Ireland it was considered provocative by the loyalists of the Yeoman Cavalry, who were likely to deal hastily with suspected rebels. The Yeomen were Protestant settlers in a Catholic area, with poor training and equipment. The story is a bit unclear but it may be significant that the protagonist's brother was named William, as in William of Orange, the English king who won the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 and introduced harsh restrictions on the Irish Catholics. There are indications that the croppy boy came from a family of above average income and indeed were probably Protestants. "Lord Cornwall" refers to Lord Cornwallis, who surrendered to the Americans at Yorktown. After the 1798 Rising, he was appointed to calm Ireland down. He was not the villain suggested by the song, but was more sympathetic than his predecessors, and actually resigned his post when George III's government refused to increase the rights of the Irish Catholics. Although the rebellion of 1798 was supposed to involve the whole of Ireland, Wexford was the only area where it had moderate success. After the failure of the rebellion, many Irish people migrated to America. A direct result of the rebellion was that the British clamped down on the Irish and passed the Act of Union, making Ireland officially part of Great Britain, which led to a century and a quarter of Anglo-Irish tension, eventually resulting in most of Ireland breaking away from Britain in the early twentieth century. This song was requested by armemfenceminfukem. Lyrics and chords: ........... E ................... A It was early, early all in the spring ........ B7 ................................. E The birds did whistle and sweetly sing, .... E ...................................... A Changing their notes from tree to tree ............... E ............. B7 .............. E And the song they sang was Old Ireland free. It was early early on Tuesday night, The yeoman cavalry gave me a fright; To my misfortune and sad downfall I was taken prisoner by Lord Cornwall. 'Twas in the guard-house where I was laid, And in a parlour where I was tried; My sentence passed and my courage low When to Dungannon I was forced to go. When I was passing my father's door, My brother William stood on the floor; My aged father stood at the door, And my aged mother her grey hair she tore. My sister Mary in great distress, She rushed downstairs in her mourning dress; Five thousand guineas she would lay down For to see me liberated in Wexford town. As I was walking up Wexford Street My own first cousin I chanced to meet; My own first cousin did me betray And for one bare guinea swore my life away. As I was walking up Wexford Hill Who could blame me to cry my fill? With a guard behind and a guard before But my aged mother I shall see no more. As I was mounted on the scaffold high My aged father was standing by; My aged father did me deny And the name he gave me was the Croppy Boy. I chose the dark and I chose the blue, I chose the pink and the orange, too. I forsook them all and I did deny, I wore the green and for it I'll die. It was in Dungannon this young man died And in Dungannon does his body lie. So all you strangers that do pass by, Oh, shed a tear for the Croppy Boy.