Lyrics and Chords

Follow Me Up To Carlow

The lyrics to Follow Me Up to Carlow were written by P J McCall in the late 19th century – a good 200 years after the events the song describes.

Follow Me Up to Carlow main page
Fiach Mac Hugh O’Byrne
Srory explained
Battle of Glenmalure
Follow Me up to Carlow Videos
Lyrics and Chords print version

The tune is reputed to have been played as a marching tune the pipers of Fiach McHugh, the hero featured in the lyrics.

The composer is unknown, but the tune was collected by McCall who heard it being played by musicians in County Wexford in Ireland.

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The song had largely fallen out favour and was in danger of being forgotten before it was revived and made popular by the Irish band Planxty in the 1970s.

Planxty play Follow Me Up to Carlow D minor. It’s given here in E minor but you can use ourchord converter to transpose it to different keys.

Follow Me Up to Carlow Lyrics and Chords

Em
Lift Mac Cahir Og your face,

G
Brooding o’er the old disgrace

That

Em
black Fitzwilliam stormed your place

And drove you

D
to the

Em
Fern.

Em
Gray said victory was sure,

G
Soon the firebrand he’d secure

Un

Em
til he met at Glenmalure,

Fiach

D
Mac Hugh O’

Em
Byrne.

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Chorus

Bm
Curse and swear, Lord Kildare,

D
Fiach will do what Fiach will dare.

Bm
Now Fitzwilliam have a care,

D
Fallen is your

Em
star

low.

Bm
Up with halbert, out with sword,

D
On we go for by the Lord

Bm
Fiach Mac Hugh has given his word:

D
Follow me up to

Em
Carlow.

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See the swords of Glen Imayle

Flashing o’er the English Pale

See all the children of the Gael,

Beneath O’Byrne’s banners

Rooster of the fighting stock,

Would you let an English cock

Crow out upon an Irish rock,

Fly up and teach him manners.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chorus

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Tassagart to Clonmore

Flows a stream of Saxon Gore.

Great is Rory Og O’More

At sending loons to Hades.

White is sick and Lane is fled,

Now for black Fitzwilliam’s head

We’ll send it over, dripping red,

To Liza and her ladies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chorus

Follow Me Up to Carlow main page
Fiach Mac Hugh O’Byrne
Srory explained
Battle of Glenmalure
Follow Me up to Carlow Videos
Lyrics and chords
Lyrics and Chords print version