Reading Angela's Ashes I was reminded of a song I heard from time to time as a child growing up in the South of Boston. It seems my Irish extended family played or sang the song RODDY MCCORLEY, perhaps betraying their underlying repubican sympathies, but certainly planting a love for the song in my sub-conscious. I found an old song book at the Dallas library with the four verses and have begn playing it, but I am curious about the song's history.

My reference attributes the song to Ethna Carbery, but does not date the song. I have discovered Roddy was a young patriot following Wolfe Tone in an unsuccessful 1798 uprising, that Wolfe Tone killed himself rather than give his captors the pleasure of executing him, and that Roddy Mc Corley, as the song goes, chose to march to his execution in a defiant display of courage.

Anyone know any more about Roddy? Why was so young a man leading men in battle, as the song says? When was the song written? Is it still sung today in Ireland?