What’s the news, what’s the news,
O my bold Shelmaliers
With your long-barreled guns
from the sea?
Say what winds from the south
bring a messenger here
With a hymn of the dawn
for the free?
Goodly news, goodly news do I bring,Youth of Forth
Goodly news shall you hear,Bargy Man
For the boys march at dawnfrom the south to the north
Led by Kelly, the Boy from Killanne
Tell me, who is the giant with the
black curling hair
He who rides at the head
of your band
Seven feet is his height
with some inches to spare
And he looks like a
king in command.
O my boys, that’s the pride ofthe bold shelmaliers
’Mongst your bravest ofheroes, a man
Fling your beavers aloft andgive three ringing cheers
For John Kelly, the boy from Killanne
Enniscorthy’s in flames, and
Old Wexford is won
And the Barrow tomorrow
we will cross
On the hill o’er the town
we have planted a gun
That will batter the
gateway to Ross
All the Forth men and Bargy men willmarch o’er the heath
Will brave Harvey to leadin the van
But the foremost of all in thatgrim gap of death
Will be Kelly, the boy from Killanne
But the bold sun of freedom
grew darkened at Ross
And it set by the Slaney’s
red waves
And poor Wexford, stripped naked,
hung high on a cross
With her heart pierced by
traitors and slaves.
Glory-o, glory-o, to her bravesons who died
For the cause of long down-trodden man
Glory-o to Mount Leinster’s owndarling and pride,
Dauntless Kelly, the boy from Killanne.