The ballad was lyrics were composed by Robert Dwyer Joyce and music by Arthur Warren Darley, who also composed other Wexford ballads, "Boolavogue" and "Kelly the Boy from Killanne".
On the Isle of Man, the tune is known as Yn Speigh Er My Gealin (The Pick On My Shoulder).
In James Joyce's novel Ulysses, in the Circe episode, a navvy shouts, "We are the boys. Of Wexford."
On the second day of President John F Kennedy's four-day trip to Ireland in June 1963, school children sang The Boys of Wexford and Kelly the Boy from Killanne for the President. When asked if he'd like another song, Kennedy replied, "Another verse of The Boys of Wexford would be fine". Before leaving, he asked one of the students for a copy of the lyrics.
The melody, from a traditional Irish folk song, was arranged for the United States Marine Band at the request of President Kennedy, whose ancestors hailed from Wexford. The arrangement was done by noted composer and arranger Samuel L. Nestico.
The tune, orchestrated by Nelson Riddle, was later used for the opening and closing theme of the 1964 television series Profiles in Courage, based on Kennedy's book of the same name.
The song also held a prominent place in the political rallies of his younger brother, Senator Ted Kennedy.
The Wolfe Tones recorded the song on their debut 1965 album The Foggy Dew. Irish folk group, The Clancy Brothers, also recorded "The Boys of Wexford" on the 1995 album, Older But No Wiser.
To download the easy alphanotes sheet music, look here.
Enjoy!
Lyrics:
In comes the captain's daughter,
The captain of the Yeos,
Saying "Brave United Irishmen,
We'll ne'er again be foes.
A thousand pounds I'll bring
If you will fly from home with me,
And dress myself in man's attire
And fight for liberty."
We are the boys of Wexford,
Who fought with heart and hand
To burst in twain the galling chain
And free our native land.
I want no gold, my maiden fair,
To fly from home with thee.
Your shining eyes will be my prize,
More dear than gold to me.
I want no gold to nerve my arm
To do a true man's part -
To free my land I'd gladly give
The red drops of my heart.
We are the boys of Wexford,
Who fought with heart and hand
To burst in twain the galling chain
And free our native land.
And when we left our cabins, boys,
We left with right good will
To see our friends and neighbours
That were at Vinegar Hill!
A young man from our Irish ranks
A cannon he let go;
He slapped it into Lord Mountjoy
A tyrant he laid low!
We are the boys of Wexford,
Who fought with heart and hand
To burst in twain the galling chain
And free our native land.
We bravely fought and conquered
At Ross and Wexford town;
And if we failed to keep them,
'Twas drink that brought us down.
We had no drink beside us
On Tubberneering's day,
Depending on the long, bright pike,
And well it worked that way.
We are the boys of Wexford,
Who fought with heart and hand
To burst in twain the galling chain
And free our native land.
And Oulart's name shall be their shame,
Whose steel we ne'er did fear.
For every man could do his part
Like Forth and Shelmalier!
And if for want of leaders,
We lost at Vinegar Hill,
We're ready for another fight,
And love our country still!
We are the boys of Wexford,
Who fought with heart and hand
To burst in twain the galling chain
And free our native land.
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