"Follow Me Up to Carlow" is an Irish folk song celebrating the defeat of an army of 3,000 English soldiers by Fiach Mac Aodh Ó Broin (anglicised Fiach McHugh O'Byrne) at the Battle of Glenmalure, during the Second Desmond Rebellion in 1580.
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The air is reputed to have first been performed by the pipers of Fiach MacHugh in 1580.
The words were written by Patrick Joseph McCall (1861–1919) and appear in his Songs of Erinn (1899) under the title "Marching Song of Feagh MacHugh".[1]
It has been performed by numerous Irish folk bands. Most notably, Planxty recorded it on their debut album. This is often recognised as the definitive recording.
An adapted version of the song was performed by the Young Dubliners, a Celtic rock band. It can be found on their albums "Breathe", "Alive Alive O" (live) and "With All Due Respect - The Irish Sessions".
A Polish version of the song ("Do Carlow") was recorded by the band Mordewind and can be found on their second album, "Defaac'to".
The song was performed by the Spanish band Los Stompers as part of their live album "Mezzy on Stage".
Blood or Whiskey, an Irish punk/folk band from Leixlip, County Kildare, recorded it on their album "No Time To Explain".
Blood Axis, an American Neofolk band published the song on the album "Witch-Hunt: The Rites of Samhain" (1999) and "Ultimacy" (2011).
Lift Mac Cahir Og your face,
broodin' o'er the old disgrace
That black Fitzwilliam stormed your place
and drove you to the fern
Gray said victory was sure,
soon the firebrand he'd secure
Until he met at Glenmalure
with Fiach McHugh O'Byrne
Chorus
Curse and swear, Lord Kildare,
Fiach will do what Fiach will dare
Now Fitzwilliam have a care,
fallen is your star low
Up with halberd, out with sword,
on we go for, by the Lord
Fiach McHugh has given the word
"Follow me up to Carlow"
See the swords at Glen Imaal,
flashin' o'er the english pale
See all the children of the Gael,
beneath O'Byrne's banner
Rooster of a fighting stock,
would you let a Saxon cock
Crow out upon an Irish Rock,
fly up and teach him manners
Chorus
From Tassagart to Clonmore,
flows a stream of Saxon gore
How great is Rory Og O'Moore
at sending loons to Hades
White is sick, Gray is fled,
now for black Fitzwilliam's head
We'll send it over, dripping red,
to Liza and her ladies
Chorus