50
they played the Lament for Limerick
on fiddle whistle and squeeze box
then finished the show with a song
and the song was The Croppy Boy
the Croppy boy longs for Old Ireland free
in days past when the conquered sang laments
while conquerors marched to sounding brass
and a longing for freedom made sense
we used to march for old Ireland free
on Patrick’s day and wore the green
divided Ireland was our lament
a free and holy land our dream
well holy Ireland’s dead and gone
with Daniel Mannix to the grave
and now that we are sort of free
there must be other loves to save
my candidate is equality
but I allow I have no idea
how to voice its lament
or who will be our Croppy
Bill Hannan 