THE DYING REBEL

The night was dark and the battle ended,
The moon shone down O'Connell Street,
I stood alone where brave men parted,
Never more again to meet.

And the first I saw was a dying rebel,
Kneeling low I heard him cry,
'God bless my home in Tipperary,
God bless the cause for which I die'.

And the next I saw was a grey-haired father,
Searching for his only son,
I said, 'Old man, there's no use searching,
Your only son to Heaven has gone'.

'Your only son was shot in Dublin,
Fighting for his country bold,
He died for Ireland and for Ireland only,
The Irish flag, green while and gold'.

This is all I can recall of this song, which I first heard about 1963. It seems to be set during the Irish War of Independence, 1919-21, and may refer to the death of Sean Treacy who was from Tipperary and who shot dead just off O'Connell Street, Dublin, in 1920. However, it could also be simply a generalized lament.