Pete

The Viva la Quince Brigada that I know was definitely written by Christy about the Irish who served in The International Brigade (not just an Irish brigade I know) and also abbout those Irish who served under France and Hitler and Mussolini.

It starts

10 years before I saw the light of morning
A comradeship of heroes it was laid
From every corner of the world came sailing
The 15th International Bde

They came to stand beside the Spanish people
To try and stem the rising Fascist tide
Franco's allies were the powerful and wealthy
Frank Ryan's men came from the other side

Even the olives were bleeding
as the battle for Madrid it thundered on
Truth and love against the force of evil
Brotherhood against the Fascist clan

Chorus
Viva la 15e Brigada
No Paseran the pledge that made them fight
Aldelante was the cry around the hillsides
Let us all remember them tonight

Bob Hillard was a church of Ireland Pastor
From Killarney across the Pyrenees he came
From Derry came a brave young Christian soldier
Together they fought and died in Spain

Tommy Woods aged 17 died in Cordoba
With Na Fianna he learnt to hold a gun
From Dublin to the Villa del Rio
Where he died beneath the Spanish sun

Chorus

Many Irish heard the call of France
Joined Hitler and Mussolini too
(Two more lines I can't recall at the moment)

From Maynooth came the call Support the Fascists
The men of cloth failed yet again
When the Bishops blessed the Blueshirts in Dun Laoighre
As they sailed beneath the Swastika to Spain

This song it is a tribute to Frank Ryan
(la la la la la la la I can't remember the words)
Though many died I can but name a few

(Another verse naming some of the more prominent Irish members of the Brigade)

Anyways definitely a Christy song and specifically about the Irish soldiers in the 15e. It's in Christy's songbook and he gives the background of it.

Slán

Benjamin B