Follow Me up to Carlow

"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 MacHugh O'Byrne) at the Battle of Glenmalure, during the Second Desmond Rebellion in 1580.

Composition
The air is reputed to have been played as a marching tune by the pipers of Fiach MacHugh O'Byrne 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".

Characters mentioned

 * Brian Mac Cahir Óg Kavanagh, Fiach's brother-in-law (as "MacCahir Óg")
 * Queen Elizabeth I of England ("Queen Liza")
 * William FitzWilliam, Lord Deputy of Ireland
 * Baron Arthur Grey
 * Fiach McHugh O'Byrne
 * Sir Pierce (or Piers) Fitzgerald, High Sheriff of Kildare (as "Lord Kildare")
 * Rory Óg O'More

Performances


It has been performed by numerous Irish folk bands, including Planxty and Wolfe Tones