The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #66885 Message #1121624
Posted By: Hrothgar
23-Feb-04 - 05:10 AM
Thread Name: DTStudy: Bold Jack Donohue
Subject: RE: DTStudy: Bold Jack Donohue
This is quoted by Frank Clune in his book "Wild Colonial Boys."
Old Ireland lies groaning, A hand at her throat By coward betrayed And by foreigners bought, Forget not the lessons Our fathers have taught Though our land's full of danger And held by the stranger Be brave and true!
We'll take to the hills Like the bandits of old When Rome was first founded By warriors bold, Who knew how to plunder The rich of their gold; A life full of danger With Jack the bushranger - The bold Donahue!
We've left dear pld Ireland's Hospitable shores - The land of the Emmetts The Tones and the Moores. Sweet liberty o'er us Her scalding tear pours, She points at the Manger Where Christ was a stranger - And perished for you.
You may hurl us to crome And brand us with shame; But you never will catch us Our spirit to tame; For we'll fight to the last In Old Ireland's sweet name And we are bushrangers Who care not for dangers - With Bold Donahue!
I wouldn't quote Clune as an authority, but he did get around amongst people who knew this sort of stuff. It wouldn't surprise me if he remembered about two-thirds and filled in the rest himself.
I have seen the song elsewhere, though, and I seem to remember another verse that finishes:
Though I be a bushranger You still are the stranger And I'm Donahue!