Now come all ye gallant Irishmen and a story I'll
relate
I'll tell to you of the Fenian men who from the foe
escaped
Though bound with Saxon chains in a dark Australian
jail
They struck a blow for freedom and for New York town
set sail
On the 17th of April in the year of '831
The gallant bark Catalpa from Freemantle town did flee
She showed the green above the red as she calmly made
her way
Prepared to take those Fenian men to saftey o'er the
sea
Here's to the ship Catalpa and the boys of Uncle Sam
And to all the Irishmen afloat and the Fenians to a man
Here's to Captain Anthony, bold Breslin2 and his crew
When challenged by the empire's might, the Stars and
Stripes he flew!
Then Breslin and brave Desmond2 had Catalpa taut and
trim
When fast approaching them they saw a vision dark and
dim
It was the gunboat Georgette and 'long her deck there
stood
One hundred hired assassins to shed the patriots' blood
"My ship is sailing peacefully beneath the flag of
stars
She's manned by Irish hearts of oak and manly Yankee
tars
And that dear emblem to the fore so plain for to be
seen
Is the banner to protect and mind - old Ireland's flag
of green!"
One hundred years have passed and gone since the day in
New York Bay
All sorts of floats and ships and boats were there -
hip hip hooray!
They say that eighty thousand men about the rescue new
Not a word was spoke and it was some joke on John
Bull's navy too
And here's to Captain Anthony who well these men did
free
He dared the English navy men to fight him on the sea
To John Devoy, his name held high, and all friends to
be seen
The flag for which our heros fought was Ireland's flag
of green!
