Catalpa - The Wolfe Tones

Oh, come all ye gallant Irishmen

I’ve 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 seventeenth of April

In the year of 'eighty-three

The gallant bark Catalpa from

Fremantle town did flee

She showed The Green above The Red

And she calmly made her way

Prepared to take those Fenian men

To safety 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

Boyle, Breslin, and his crew

When challenged by The Empire’s might

The stars and stripes he flew!

Then Breslin and brave Desmond

And Catalpa, taught and trim

When fast approachin' them they saw

A vision dark and dim

It was the gun-boat Georgette

Among their deck there stood

One hundred hired assassins

To shed the patriot blood

My ship is sailin' peacefully

Beneath a flag of stars

It’s manned by Irish hearts of oak

And manly Yankee tars

And that dear emblem to the fore

So plain for to be seen

'Tis the banner to protect o' mine

Ol' Ireland’s flag of green

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

Boyle, Breslin, and his crew

When challenged by The Empire’s might

The stars and stripes he flew!

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 the day three-thousand men

About the rescue, knew

Not a word was spoke and it was some joke

On John Boyle’s navy, too

And here’s to Captain Anthony

Who well these men did free

He dared the English navy men

To fight among the sea

Too John Devoy, his name held high

And all friends to be seen

The flag for which our heroes fought

Was Ireland’s flag of green

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

Boyle, Breslin, and his crew

When challenged by The Empire’s might

The stars and stripes he flew!

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

Boyle, Breslin, and his crew

When challenged by The Empire’s might

The stars and stripes he flew!