n\u00edl an taifead seo ar f\u00e1il faoi l\u00e1thair<\/p>\n
view \/ hide recording details [+\/-]<\/span><\/p>\n And you know in Ireland every six months, the priest comes around to give advice and confessions to the old people, you see, in the cottages. And there’s one particular house they come to every time. Well, this day they came to Knockanure in County Kerry and it was in 1922, and there was two wee lads, Eamonn Dalton and Danny Welch, was on the run up in the hills, and five lorry-loads of Black and Tans came to hunt them. And they had a boy, a fourteen-year-old boy called Con Dee bringing them messages to tell them how the Tans was behaving, and the Tans, fifty Tans, hundred Tans, I should say, surrounded them with rifles and they told Con Dee to get away some way, and bring a message to the village that they were willing to die to save the village. And the two fellows died. But the people, the old people coming, as they do there, they come along, old women and men; and to spare them, the two lads fought to the death with a hundred Black and Tans up on the hill and saved the village from ruin, because if they ran back to the village, the lads were afraid the Tans would come back and probably kill innocent people.<\/p>\n You may boast and speak about Easter week or the heroes of Ninety-eight, ‘Twas on a summer’s evening those two young lads sat down. Young Dalton grabbed a rifle and by Welch’s side he stood. One shot from Dalton’s rifle sent a machine gun out of play. The summer sun was sinking fast on Kerry by the sea. God bless our bold Sinn F\u00e9iners, wherever they may be. Our hero boys were stout and bold, no counsel would they take. And ’twas God who sent those boys to life, but did not say how long, Young Eamonn Dalton and Danny Welch were known both far and wide, I met with Dalton’s mother, those words to me did say,\n
\nOf the gallant men who roamed the glen to victory or defeat.
\nThe men who died on the scaffold high were outlawed on the moor.
\nNot a word was spoken of two young lads in the valley of Knockanure.<\/p>\n
\nThey were waiting on a brief despatch to come from Tralee town.
\nIt wasn’t long ’til Lyons came on saying, ‘Time’s not mine nor yours.
\nLook out – we are surrounded in the valley of Knockanure.’<\/p>\n
\nHe gazed across the valley and over toward the hill.
\nIn the glen where armed men with rifles fired galore,
\nThere were Dalton, Dan and the Black and Tans in the valley of Knockanure.<\/p>\n
\nHe turned to young Lyons and said ‘Now try and get away.
\nKeep wide of rocks, keep close to nooks, and cross by Freeny’s moor,
\nAnd Danny and I will fight or die on the valley of Knockanure.’<\/p>\n
\nThe pale moon it was rising over sweet Tralee.
\nThe twinkling stars they shone so far out on the dreary moor,
\nAnd when Dalton died, the banshee cried in the valley of Knockanure.<\/p>\n
\nDon’t forget to kneel and pray for that hero brave Con Dee.
\nHe ran among the Kerry hills to the rich men and the poor.
\nSalt tears he shed for those he left dead in the valley of Knockanure.<\/p>\n
\nThey ran among the lonely glens where the Black and Tans did lay.
\nThe women of the uplands gazed out across the moor,
\nWatching Dalton and Dan fighting fifty-to-one in the valley of Knockanure.<\/p>\n
\nFor well we knew that England’s crew would shoot them right or wrong.
\nWith our rifles fixed right up to fire and bullets quick and sure,
\nWe’ll have revenge for those young men on the valley of Knockanure.<\/p>\n
\nOn every hill and every glen they were always side by side.
\nA republic bold they did uphold, they were outlawed on the moor,
\nAnd side by side they fought and died in the valley of Knockanure.<\/p>\n
\n‘May the lord have mercy on my son, he was shot in the getaway.
\nIf I only could kiss his cold, cold lips my aching heart would cure,
\nAnd I’d lay his body down to rest in the valley of Knockanure.’<\/p>\n