| Oh, come all ye gallant Irishmen
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| I’ve a story I’ll relate
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| I’ll tell to you of the Fenian men
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| Who from the foe escaped
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| Though bound with Saxon chains
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| In a dark Australian jail
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| They struck a blow for freedom
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| And for New York town set sail
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| On the seventeenth of April
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| In the year of 'eighty-three
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| The gallant bark Catalpa from
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| Fremantle town did flee
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| She showed The Green above The Red
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| And she calmly made her way
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| Prepared to take those Fenian men
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| To safety o’er the sea
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| Here’s to the ship, Catalpa
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| And the boys of Uncle Sam
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| And to all the Irishmen afloat
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| And the Fenians to a man
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| Here’s to Captain Anthony
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| Boyle, Breslin, and his crew
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| When challenged by The Empire’s might
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| The stars and stripes he flew!
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| Then Breslin and brave Desmond
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| And Catalpa, taught and trim
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| When fast approachin' them they saw
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| A vision dark and dim
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| It was the gun-boat Georgette
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| Among their deck there stood
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| One hundred hired assassins
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| To shed the patriot blood
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| My ship is sailin' peacefully
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| Beneath a flag of stars
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| It’s manned by Irish hearts of oak
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| And manly Yankee tars
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| And that dear emblem to the fore
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| So plain for to be seen
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| 'Tis the banner to protect o' mine
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| Ol' Ireland’s flag of green
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| Here’s to the ship, Catalpa
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| And the boys of Uncle Sam
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| And to all the Irishmen afloat
|
| And the Fenians to a man
|
| Here’s to Captain Anthony
|
| Boyle, Breslin, and his crew
|
| When challenged by The Empire’s might
|
| The stars and stripes he flew!
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| One hundred years have passed and gone
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| Since the day in New York bay
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| All sorts of floats and ships and boats
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| Were there, hip-hip-hooray!
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| They say the day three-thousand men
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| About the rescue, knew
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| Not a word was spoke and it was some joke
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| On John Boyle’s navy, too
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| And here’s to Captain Anthony
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| Who well these men did free
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| He dared the English navy men
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| To fight among the sea
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| Too John Devoy, his name held high
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| And all friends to be seen
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| The flag for which our heroes fought
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| Was Ireland’s flag of green
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| Here’s to the ship, Catalpa
|
| And the boys of Uncle Sam
|
| And to all the Irishmen afloat
|
| And the Fenians to a man
|
| Here’s to Captain Anthony
|
| Boyle, Breslin, and his crew
|
| When challenged by The Empire’s might
|
| The stars and stripes he flew!
|
| Here’s to the ship, Catalpa
|
| And the boys of Uncle Sam
|
| And to all the Irishmen afloat
|
| And the Fenians to a man
|
| Here’s to Captain Anthony
|
| Boyle, Breslin, and his crew
|
| When challenged by The Empire’s might
|
| The stars and stripes he flew! |