Rory and Liam and Dick and Joe

Subject: Rory and Liam and Dick and Joe
From: Carl Jeffcote
Date: 06 Dec 99 - 01:51 PM

Does anyone have any knowledge whatever of this song? Dating from the 1920's in Ireland, I think. Carl

Subject: RE: Rory and Liam and Dick and Joe
From: InOBU
Date: 06 Dec 99 - 01:56 PM

I do, it is a true story about the exicution of Repulicans by free staters, not being able to find an Irishman to exicute them, the Freestaters brought over an English hangman. If no one posts the words, and you dont have them, Ill call them back to mind, it is a long time since I heard them sung, by some dear old sticky in the seventies, Slan Is mise le meas Larry

Subject: RE: Rory and Liam and Dick and Joe
From: the Archivist
Date: 06 Dec 99 - 01:58 PM

How's this for syncronicity? yesterday's thread

Subject: RE: Rory and Liam and Dick and Joe
From: InOBU
Date: 06 Dec 99 - 02:09 PM

I knew Ernie OMallys widdow, Mrs. OMally Hooker, a sckuptress, who was almost one hundred at the time. She was a firebrand and a great story teller, knew them all, from Liam Oflarity to the Countess Markovich. In her memory, as it has been over twenty years scince I have seen her, and though I hope she is alive and raising hell, it would not be very likely... so in her memory Ill look for the words, I know I have them somewhere... Slan Larry

Subject: RE: Rory and Liam and Dick and Joe
From: InOBU
Date: 06 Dec 99 - 02:21 PM

By the way lads... It is not Haul it Down from Mast you mean, is it?

You have murdered Brave Liam and Rory/

You have Butchered young Dick and Joe/

and your hands with their blood are still gory/

from fullfiling the work of the foe/

Take it down from the mast Irish Traitors/

it is the flag we Republicans clain/

It can never belong to you Freestaters/

For you ve brought on it nothing but shame/

Is that the one you mean, I beleive I used to know a song, by the name you all give, many years ago, but I have to wrack the old grey mellon... the above one is very common, but if it is the one you mean, Ill post the rest...

all the best

Larry

Subject: RE: Rory and Liam and Dick and Joe
From: InOBU
Date: 06 Dec 99 - 03:41 PM

A Chairde, I know the one you want, dug it out of a dusty dest drawer, knew it was there on an old tattered scrap from my youth....

In Memorandum

Writeen by Padraig de Brun on the night of Dec. 8th, 1922

Rory and Liam are dead and gone,/

Star of the morning, Mary come.

Slain at the Eight of Descembers dawn,/

Mary Immaculate, guide them home.

Rory and Liam and Dick and Joe,/

Star of the morning, Mary come,/

Red is their hearts blood, their souls like snow,/

Mary Immaculate, guide them home.

Their slays have rung no passing bell,/

Star of the morning, Mary come/

But the riffles crack is their funeral knell;/

Mary Immaculate, guide them home.

Their eyes are steady in face of death,/

Star of the morning, Mary, come,/

For their minds are rapt by the vission of faith/

Mary immaculate, guide them home.

For Winter will pass and Spring be born./

Star of the morning, Mary, come,/

And freedom will waken the land at morn,

Mary Immaculate, guide them home.

And what is death but an envoy sped,/

Star of the morning, Mary come,/

With a call from the Heaven of Irelands dead?

Mary Immaculate, guide them home.

Why reckon the pangs that have sufficed,/

Star of the morning, Mary come,/

To bring free souls to their Captain Christ?/

Mary Immaculate, guide them home.

Rory and Liam are dead and gone,/

Star of the morning, Mary come,/

They have found the lights that go out at dawn,/

Mary Immaculate, guide them home.

Rory Liam Dick and Joe,/

Star of the morning, Mary come

Our starlight fades, but the road they know,/

Mary Immaculate, guide them home.

FREE MUMIA! Slan Larry

Subject: RE: Rory and Liam and Dick and Joe
From: InOBU
Date: 06 Dec 99 - 03:47 PM

Corections, Written by... and verce 3 their slayERs... sorry - never did learn to spell well, even with more school than anyone deserves... I have a Juris Doctorate, and I can spell attourn... lawyer. Larry (I had a boss who used to send me memos about misspelling my own name!)

Subject: RE: Rory and Liam and Dick and Joe
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Dec 99 - 06:58 PM

That is a beautiful and poignant song, Larry. Thank yo for posting it.

P.S. Nobody takes points off at the Mudcat for spelling.**BG**

kat

Subject: RE: Rory and Liam and Dick and Joe
From: InOBU
Date: 06 Dec 99 - 07:03 PM

Thanks Kat: You are intersted in Native songs, arent you? Look at the song posted for Bonnies request below, All the best Larry

Subject: RE: Rory and Liam and Dick and Joe
From: JTT
Date: 07 Dec 99 - 01:47 PM

Helen Hooker O'Malley Roeloffs is dead (ar slí a' fhirinne a bheith a h-anam) but her daughter, Etáin, is alive and running an Irish-American theatre in New York.

Subject: RE: Rory and Liam and Dick and Joe
From: InOBU
Date: 07 Dec 99 - 03:18 PM

Im glad you found the post JTT, as I believe this is the recitation you were looking for, and am sad to hear that H H Om R did not live to be 120 something. It is hard to emagine her not going on for ever, as I think she was about 95 when I would see her, and she had the energy of a 9 year old. She was one of those people you wish you had written down everything she said. She told about renting the house in the Aran Islands for Man of Aran, and Maud Gawn, or was it the Countess Markivich running past her studio and she grabbing her by the elbow to sit her down for a portrate. Is it the Irish Rep. or the Irish Arts Center that her daughter is directing? I have friends at each?

Subject: RE: Rory and Liam and Dick and Joe
From: GUEST,Tomas
Date: 05 Dec 15 - 03:49 PM

Thanks for this post, I had forgotten some of the words,I am glad I found you.

Subject: RE: Rory and Liam and Dick and Joe
From: GUEST,Celtaddict (cookie crumbled)
Date: 05 Dec 15 - 04:51 PM

What a beautiful lyric! Is there a recording, or music, somewhere? I would like to learn it.

Subject: RE: Rory and Liam and Dick and Joe
From: mayomick
Date: 06 Dec 15 - 12:55 PM

Regarding the references to Mary Immaculate in the poem. The 8th December is the Catholic Feast of the Immaculate Conceptiion- "one of the most important Marian feasts celebrated in the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church".

It was thought particularly scandalous at the time that the Free State would shoot the four men on that day

Subject: RE: Rory and Liam and Dick and Joe
From: Thompson
Date: 08 Sep 21 - 09:10 AM

That poem was printed up and given out outside churches by brave people on the actual morning of Rory and Liam and Dick and Joe's extrajudicial State murder.