Thanks Peace for your prompt reply - that link you provided is a good read - with the rough text of the words you provided, I did another search to turn up this page:

http://archives.tcm.ie/carlownationalist/1999/08/28/story4019.asp

which gives the wording as follows:

-----

I sing no song of long ago, of warriors staunch and bold

Who bore their spears on Irish hills, in golden days of old

But I raise a rann for our own dear lads, the loyal the brave and true

who flung their lives in the bearna bhaoil, the soldiers of '22


When they heard the call of a cause laid low, they sprang to their guns again

and the pride of all was first to fall, the glory of our fighting men

In the days to come when the pipe and drum you follow in the ways they knew

when their praise you sing let the echoes ring with the memory of Cathal Brugha


Brave Liam Lynch on the mountainside fell a victim to the foe

and Dinny Lacey for Ireland died in the Glen of Aherlow

Neil Boyle and Quinn from the North came down to stand with the

faithful few

And we'll sing their praise in the freedom days among the heroes of '22



Some fell in proud rush of war and some by a treacherous blow

Like the martyrs four in Dublin town and their comrades at Drumboe

And a 100 more in the barrack square and by lonely roadsides too

Without fear they died and we speak with pride of our martyrs of '22

----

Is this the definitive version or are there others etc? Any comment on the tune??

Thanks again - Robbo.