It stands alone against the sky
where seawinds blow and seabirds fly
a darkened and foreboding tree
bet your purse it waits for me

the gallows wait, against the sky
the gallows wait, where seabirds fly
the gallows wait, foreboding tree
the gallows wait, it waits for me

Cold, alone, sway with the wind
Pray its not for you my friend
tho' tis true that I have sinned
this was not meant to be my end

the gallows wait, with the wind
the gallows wait, for you my friend
the gallows wait, for I have sinned
the gallows wait, to be my end

I will not abandon hope
to yet avoid that sturdy rope
ev'n while you dance outside my cell
and think that I will go to hell

the gallows wait, abandon hope
the gallows wait, a sturdy rope
the gallows wait, outside my cell
the gallows wait, I'll go to Hell!

Upon these walls a true confession,
thieving was my last profession,
I did not take her ring in flight
I stole away his wedding night
Just make it clear thats why I died..
then wipe the tears all from her eyes..
I stretched before I e'r was tried..
my life was purchased with his lies..

the gallows wait
the gallows wait
the gallows wait
the gallows wait....

If you ever go across the sea to Ireland
Then maybe at the closing of your day
You will sit and watch the moon rise over Claddagh
And see the sun go down on Galway Bay

Just to hear again the ripple of the trout scream
The women in the meadows making hay
And to sit beside a turf five- five in the cabin
And to watch the bare foot Gossoons at their play

For the breezes blowing o´er the seas from Ireland
Are perfumed by the heather as they blow
And the women in the uplands diggin´ praties
Speak a languague that the strangers do not know

For the strangers came and tried to teach us their way
The scorn´d us just for being what we are
But they might as well go chasing after moonbeams
Or light a penny candle from a star

And if there's going to be a life here after
And somehow I am sure there´s going to be
I will ask my God to let me make my heaven
In that dear land across the Irish sea

With me whack fol the do fol the diddlely idle ay

And as I rode out through Galway Town to seek for recreation
On the seventeenth of August, me mind being elevated
There were multitudes assembled with their tickets at the station
And me eyes began to dazzle and they're going to see the races

With me whack fol the do fol the diddlely idle ay

There were passengers from Limerick and passengers from Nenagh
Passengers from Dublin and sportsmen from Tipperary
There were passengers from Kerry and all quarters of the nation
And our member Mr Hardy for to join the Galway Blazers

With me whack fol the do fol the diddlely idle ay

There were multitudes from Aran and members from New Quay shore
The boys from Connemara and the Clare unmarried maidens
People from Cork City who were loyal, true and faithful
They brought home the Fenian prisoners from dying in foreign nations

With me whack fol the do fol the diddlely idle ay

And it's there you'll see confectioners with sugarsticks and dainties
The lozenges and oranges, the lemonade and raisins
Gingerbread and spices to accomodate the ladies
And a big crubeen for thruppence to be suckin' while you're able

With me whack fol the do fol the diddlely idle ay

And it's there you'll see the gamblers, the thimbles and the garters
And the sporting Wheel of Fortune with the four and twenty quarters
There was others without scruple pelting wattles at poor Maggy
And her daddy well contented to be gawking at his daughter

With me whack fol the do fol the diddlely idle ay

And it's there you'll see the pipers and the fiddlers competing
The nimble-footed dancers and they trippin' on the daisies
There was others shoutin' cigars and lights and bills for all the races
With the colours of the jockey and the price and horses' ages

With me whack fol the do fol the diddlely idle ay

And it's there you'll see the jockeys and they mounted on so stately
The pink, the blue, the orange and green, the emblem of our nation
When the bell was rung for starting all the horses seemed impatient
I thought they never stood on ground, their speed was so amazing

With me whack fol the do fol the diddlely idle ay

There was half a million people there of all denominations
The Catholic, the Protestant, the Jew and Presbyterian
There was yet no animosity no matter what persuasion
But fáilte and hospitality inducing Mr Paisley

With me whack fol the do fol the diddlely idle ay
With me whack fol the do fol the diddlely idle ay

Sad are three homes in Belfast now
Old Ireland shares their sorrow
Braid Farrell, Sean Savage, and Daniel MacCann
They died on the streets of Gibraltar

They flew out of Belfast with an ambitious plan
To continue the struggle to free Ireland
Braid Farrell, Sean Savage and Daniel MacCann
And they dies on the streets of Gibraltar

Sad are three homes in Belfast now
Old Ireland shares their sorrow
As they walked in the sun the Brits drew their guns
And blood stained the streets of Gibraltar

The SAS stood there so proud of their deed
Three more freedom fighters lay dead in the street
Theyve been given no warning no chance to retreat
For three had to die in Gibraltar

Sad are three homes in Belfast now
Old Ireland shares their sorrow
As they walked in the sun the Brits drew their guns
And blood stained the streets of Gibraltar

Go on home British soldiers, go on home.
Have you got no fuckin' homes of your own ?
For eight hundred years we've fought you without fear
And we will fight you for eight hundred more.

If you stay British soldiers, if you stay
You will never ever beat the IRA
The fourteen men in Derry are the last that you will bury
So take a tip and leave us while you may.

No, we're not British, we're not Saxon, we're not English
We're Irish! and proud we are to be.
So fuck your union jack we want our country back
We want to see old Ireland free once more.

Well we're fighting British soldiers for the cause
We'll never bow to soldiers because
Throughout our history we were born to be free
So get out British soldiers, leave us be.

God save Ireland, said the heroes
God save Ireland, said they all
Whether on the scaffold high
Or the battlefield we die
Oh, what matter when for Erin dear we fall

High upon the gallows tree swung the noble hearted three
By the vengeful tyrant stricken in their bloom
But they met him face to face with the courage of their race
And they went with souls undaunted to their doom

God save Ireland, said the heroes
God save Ireland, said they all
Whether on the scaffold high
Or the battlefield we die
Oh, what matter when for Erin dear we fall

Climbed they up the rugged stair, rang their voices out in prayer
Then with England's fatal cord around them cast
Close beside the gallows tree kissed like brothers lovingly
True to home and faith and freedom to the last

God save Ireland, said the heroes
God save Ireland, said they all
Whether on the scaffold high
Or the battlefield we die
Oh, what matter when for Erin dear we fall

Never till the latest day shall the memory pass away
Of the gallant lives thus given for our land
But on the cause must go, amidst joy and weal and woe
Till we make our Isle a nation free and grand

God save Ireland, said the heroes
God save Ireland, said they all
Whether on the scaffold high
Or the battlefield we die
Oh, what matter when for Erin dear we fall

Grace

Sean/Frank O’Meara

As we gather here in the chapel in old Kilmainham jail 
I think about these past few weeks or will they say we failed 
From our schooldays they have told us we must yearn for liberty 
Yet all I want in this dark place is to have you here with me 

O Grace just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger 
They'll take me out at dawn and I will die 
With all my love I place this wedding ring upon your finger 
There won't be time to share our love for we must say goodbye 

I know it's hard for you my love to ever understand 
The love I bear for these brave men, my love for this dear land 
But when Pádraig called me to his side down in the G.P.O. 
I had to leave my own sick-bed, to him I had to go 

Chorus 

And as the dawn is breaking, my heart is breaking too 
As I walk out this cold May morn my thought will be of you 
I'll write some words upon the wall so everyone will know 
I loved so much that I could see his blood upon the rose