The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #35648   Message #2466837
Posted By: Joe Offer
15-Oct-08 - 08:34 PM
Thread Name: Help: History of 'Shane Crossagh'
Subject: ADD Version: Shane Crossagh
This won't be much different from Mark's post, but here are the lyrics as printed in Sam Henry's Songs of the People, page 130.

SHANE CROSSAGH

It's up the heathery mountain and down the rushy glen,
Squire Staples has gone a-hunting Shane Crossagh and his men,
And forty mounted yeomen that galloped in a stream,
They swear they'll gin the gallows work when they come back again.

Shane Crossagh was a ploughboy that ploughed at Ballynascreen,
But now he is an outlaw for the wearing of the green,
For the wearing o' the green, oh, the wearing o' the green,
But now he is an outlaw today at Ballynascreen.

The squire rode a chestnut, his brother rode a grey,
Close behind Shane Crossagh they galloped all the day,
They galloped all the day and they hunted him by night,
They never let the outlaw one moment out of sight.

It was on the Sperrin Mountains far, far from Ballynascreen,
They kept the bloodhounds on his track, for the wearing of the green,
For the wearing of the green, for the wearing of the green.
They kept the bloodhounds on his track, for the wearing of the green.

Then said Torrens the farmer, "We have him now, I know.
The bloodhounds now are on his track, he cannot leap the Roe."
The river now was deep, its channel twelve yards wide,
The banks were high and steep, overhanging on each side.

The man, he must be wearied, for a long chase this has been
For three long days, and fasting since he left Ballynascreen,
Since he left Ballynascreen for the wearing of the green,
"We will hang him now for surely for the wearing of the green."

Shane Crossagh had a wolf dog that never parted him,
And when the hounds they neared him, he tore them limb from limb,
"My dear friend," said the outlaw, when the tears began to flow,
"My gallant hound, we are both free if we can leap the Roe."

Then up the hound he gave a bounce, "Shane Crossagh now I know,"
And with a shout they both leaped out and they have leaped the Roe,
And they have leapt the Roe and defied their every foe.
Ballynascreen will yet be seen by the man that leaped the Roe.

"A good leap," said the Squire, when he saw the chase was won.
"Not too great," said the outlaw, "for such a length of run.
But mark me, Squire Staples, when you come back again,
You might wish the river Roe between Shane Crossagh and his men."

The squire his yeomen came hurrying down Glenshane,
Right wearied and dejected, their chase was all in vain,
Their chase was all in vain and Shane Crossagh called amain,
"Right well we'll win, we'll meet the green before we cross Glenshane."

Old Feeny bridge was broken and on a search was seen
From them a fearful token, a bunch of holly green.
And from behind a grey rock a whistling ball had sped,
And Torrens, then, the farmer, fell from his charger, dead.

It's up the Squire Staples, "Shane Crossagh, let me live,
And for your hounds a thousand pounds in yellow gold I'll give,
And bring your arms here singly, and bring them unto me,
For I must bind your yeomen, each man unto a tree."

It's bound now is Squire Staples, you'll find him in the glen,
The outlaw force consisted of seven gallant men,
Of seven gallant men, my boys, of seven gallant men,
And with despair he tore his hair and wept for Shane amain.

Source: Patrick McNicholl

Click to play



Does the tune sound about right?