Lyr Add: The Missing Train (Joe Dillon)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Missing Train (Joe Dillon)
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jan 10 - 07:41 AM

The poem was written by my Grandfather who was commanding officer of the third battalion of the IRA during the war of independence. A train went missing and the RIC raided my Grandfathers house in search of the train although he had nothing to do with it. My brother Eoin Dillon put it on the Kila album

Subject: RE: Origins/lyr ADD: Train commandeered by IRA?
From: michaelr
Date: 06 Dec 09 - 12:47 PM

Good one, Jim, thanks!

Subject: Lyr Add: THE QUILTY BURNING
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 06 Dec 09 - 09:30 AM

Can't help with the train Michael - but here is a song with a similar history.
During the Irish War of Independence there were many hundreds of songs made by local people and referring to incidents such as your train. Because of their local nature, they never made it out of the localities where the events occurred; I reckon we must have recorded around a dozen, some of which were made in the lifetimes of the people who sang them.
I am convinced that there is great scope for a published collection of these local songs, especially as, quite often they are the only record of the events having taken place.
This is one we got from a West Clare man living in London. He vaguely remembered the incident and the first appearance of the song.
It refers to the activities of local people who, while they weren't part of the Independence movement, supported the aims. It became a common tactic to pile a bundle of paraffin soaked rags up against the doors of RIC barracks (police stations) and set fire to them - more for their nuisance value than anything else.
This happened in Quilty, County Clare, around 1921; so far we have never found anybody else who remembers this particular incident taking place.
Thanks for the interesting question - and the song.
Jim Carroll   

THE QUILTY BURNING.         
Sung by Mick Kelleher.

Oh the burning of Quilty, you all know it well,
When the barrack took fire where the peelers did dwell,
The flames bursted out, sure it was a great sight,
There were women and children out there all night.

Michael Dwyer, sure, he got a great fright,
He called in his wife for to rescue his life,
His daughter ran out and she roaring, avore,
Blessed light, blessed light, keep away from our door.

Liam McCoy Kenny, looked out through the glass,
He saw Patsy Scully outside at the Cross,
Oh Patsy, Oh Patsy, take out the poor ass,
For the whole blessed place it is all in a mass.

Michael Dwyer, he came down on the scene,
He went down to the cross and called up Jack Cuneen,
My house will be burned before 'twill be seen,
And my fool of a son is above in Rineen.

Then Paddy Shannon thrown out his old rags,
He stuck his poor missus into the bag,
The burning, the burning, it started too soon,
'Twill be burning all night until next afternoon.

Then Paddy Healey came out in the flames,
He could see nobody there but the peelers he'll blame,
He went into Tom Clancy and told him the same,
By damned, said Tom Clancy, 'tis now we want rain.

Father McCannon came down to the gate,
He says to the boys, there's an awful disgrace,
For this old barracks is an awful state,
It's no harm to be banished and gone out the place.

Now to conclude and to finish my song,
I hope you'll all tell me my verses are wrong,
For this old barracks is no harm to be gone,
For many the poor fellow was shoved in there wrong.

Subject: RE: Origins/lyr ADD: Train commandeered by IRA?
From: michaelr
Date: 05 Dec 09 - 10:17 PM

Anyone else?

Subject: RE: Origins/lyr ADD: Train commandeered by IRA?
From: Paul Burke
Date: 01 Dec 09 - 01:48 AM

The song seems to have been written by someone with railway knowledge, perhaps a railway worker. I say this because the Swilly (like the County Donegal) was 3ft gauge, the same gauge as a number of railways in Antrim, including the Ballymena, Cushendall and Red Bay. Most railways in Ireland were to the Irish ("broad") gauge of 5ft 3ins.

Subject: RE: Origins/lyr ADD: Train commandeered by IRA?
From: michaelr
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 08:44 PM

Thanks, Paul - that may well be the incident which inspired the song.

Subject: RE: Origins/lyr ADD: Train commandeered by IRA?
From: Paul Burke
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 05:07 PM

Apologies- looking at the map, there were also ten miles or so of the broad- gauge Great Northern Railway that ran along the Donegal side of the Foyle, from Strabane to Derry. I haven't any information on any incidents affecting that line.

Subject: RE: Origins/lyr ADD: Train commandeered by IRA?
From: Paul Burke
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 04:38 PM

Well, there's a choice of two (or rather three) railways in Donegal- the County Donegal, and the Londonderry and Lough Swilly, which also worked the nominally- independent Burtonport Extension Railway. From the little information I have to hand about these lines, this incident best fits the bill:

It was learned on Wednesday that the goods train which left Derry that morning shortly after 10 o'clock was boarded on arrival at Cashelnagore Station by three armed and masked men. This happened to be the last train over that section of line, the service on which has been suspended by order of the military. One of the men going to the engine compelled the driver to proceed, and the other two men journeyed in the brake van. For some hours the train was missing and no information was available, the wires having been cut. Later it was learned that the train was halted between Cashelnagore and Gweedore, where four additional armed men were waiting, and the waggons having been ransacked the raiders withdrew. Before leaving they stated that they were searching for Belfast goods, but nothing had been interfered with. The train then proceeded to Burtonport.

From the Derry Journal, 22nd April 1921, quoted in "The Lough Swilly Railway" by E.M.Patterson.

Subject: RE: Origins/lyr ADD: Train commandeered by IRA?
From: michaelr
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 04:18 PM

No one? Really?

Subject: Lyr Add: THE MISSING TRAIN (Joe Dillon)
From: michaelr
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 04:59 PM

The Missing Train

Did you hear the latest news, boys
It really is great crack
A train was pinched in Donegal
and they cannot get it back.

Where do you think did it go boys,
Or did it really stray?
The Peelers are out searching for it
both night and day.

The Peelers think they know boys,
In fact I heard one say
The Dillons have it hidden
Beneath some stacks of hay.

Where have you got the train, Joe,
and where did you put the track.
Will you keep it all the time Joe
Or will you bring it back.

How did you get it here, Joe?
Did you carry it on your back,
or did you take it all to pieces
and bring it in a sack?

Will you take me for a ride Joe
among the Antrim Glens?
I'll travel in the Guard's van
and wave to all our friends

We'll travel through historic scenes
and home by Cushendall
In the rebel train that's missing
From Royal Donegal.

PS. The rebel train was a railway train, commandeered in 1920 by the IRA for reasons of their own to the great discomfiture of the British government, their servants and associates.


This lyric, written in an old-fashioned hand and attributed to Joe Dillon, is reproduced in the booklet to Kila's CD "Lemonade and Buns" (Green Linnet, 2000) where it accompanies a tune called "Where did ya Hide That Train, Joe?", written by Eoin Dillon (a descendant, perhaps?) et al.

I'd love to have any information about the song, the incident it describes, or about Joe Dillon.

Cheers,
Michael