Lisnagade

Melody - Seq. plays two verses

ca. 1792

Ye Protestants of Ulster,
I pray you join with me,
Your voices raise in lofty praise
And show your loyalty;
Extol the day we marched away
With Orange flags so fine,
In order to commemorate
The conquest of the Boyne.

2. The first who fought upon the day
The Prince of Orange was,
He headed our brave forefathers
In their most glorious cause;
Protestant rights aye to maintain,
And Popery to degrade;
And in the memory of the same
We fought at Lisnagade.

3. 'Twas early in the morning
Before the rise of sun,
An information we received,
Our foes each with his gun
In ambush lay, near the highway,
Entrenched within a fort,
Just to disgrace our Orange flag,
But soon we spoilt their sport.

4. We had not march'd a mile or so,
When the white flag we espy'd
With a branch of podoreens displayed,
On which they much rely'd
And this inscription underneath
"Hail Mary! Unto thee
Deliver us from these Orange dogs,
And then we shall be free."

5. At half an hour past two o'clock
The firing did commence,
With clouds of smoke and showers of ball;
'Mid passion most intense;
They called unto their patron saint,
To whom they used to pray,
But none were near their prayer to hear,
And so they ran away.

There was a large faction fight on July 12, 1791. A group of "Defenders", a secret Roman Catholic agrarian society, took up position in Fort Lisnagade to attack a group of "Peep O' Day Boys" who were celebrating King William's victory at Boyne.

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