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"Follow Me Up to Carlow" is an Irish folk song which celebrates the battle of Glenmalure, a 1580 engagement of the Second Desmond Rebellion which saw an army of 700 rebels under Fiach McHugh O'Byrne rout 2,000 English and Irish troops under Arthur Grey, 14th Baron Grey de Wilton.

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

See also

• O'Donnell Abu

References

1. "Follow Me up to Carlow", Irish Music Daily
2. Patrick Joseph McCall, Songs of Erinn (London and Dublin, 1899), 22-23.(external link to source)
3. "Follow Me Up to Carlow – story and characters". Irish Music Daily. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
4. "Follow Me Up to Carlow – story and characters". Irish Music Daily. Retrieved 14 January 2024.

External links

• Sheet music Archived 7 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine
• "Follow Me up to Carlow" - Planxty

• Irish folk songs
• 1899 songs
• Songs written by Patrick Joseph McCall
• Second Desmond Rebellion
• Songs about Ireland
• Songs about towns