The Rocks of Bawn

The Rocks of Bawn is an Irish traditional folk song, likely originating in County Galway in the early 18th century. It has been catalogued in the Roud Folk Song Index, as number 3024. It has been recorded and sung publicly by numerous Irish folk singers.

The meaning of the song has been debated, but may refer to the displacement of native Irish farmers from their traditional lands during the reign of Oliver Cromwell, owing to the fact that some versions reference Patrick Sarsfield, 1st Earl of Lucan, a Jacobite leader during the 17th century.

Moreover, the location of the eponymous Rocks of Bawn has been a source of discussion and curiosity for many years. Frank McNally of the Irish Times attempted to locate them, and decided that multiple sites could be considered, but the song's age precluded answering with any certainty.

Lyrics

 * Come all you loyal heroes wherever you might be
 * Don’t hire with any master till you know what your work will be
 * For he will rise you early from the clear daylight till dawn
 * And you never will be able for to plough the Rocks of Bawn


 * Oh, rise up lovely Sweeney and give your horse some hay
 * and give him out a feed of oats before you start the day
 * Don’t feed him on soft turnips, take him to yon green lawn
 * And then he will be able for to plough the Rocks of Bawn


 * Well, my curse attend you Sweeney, you have me nearly robbed
 * you’re sitting by the fire side with your dúidín in your gob
 * Sitting by the fire side from the clear daylight till dawn
 * And you never will be able for to plough the Rocks of Bawn


 * Oh I wish the Queen of England would send for me in time
 * And place me in some regiment all in my youth and prime
 * And I’d fight for Ireland’s glory from the clear daylight till dawn
 * And I never will return again for to plough the Rocks Of Bawn

Performances

 * The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem
 * Joe Heaney
 * Christy Moore
 * Paul Brady
 * Liam O'Flynn
 * Séamus Ennis
 * The Jolly Rogers
 * Lankum (as "The Rocks of Palestine")