History and My Story

In the next few weeks we will be discussing the impact of WWI on Ireland. Remember, Irish boys fought in the Opium Wars, the British-Burmese Wars, the Boer War and were stationed in British colonies all over the globe. World War I was the proverbial “straw that broke the camel’s back.” In addition, after WWI the British wanted to avoid conflict at all cost. Subsequently, 26 of 32 Irish counties will gain independence in 1922.

The following song–covered here by Boston’s own Dropkick Murphy’s–is a traditional one whose origins are disputed. It is similar to the American Civil War song “When Johnny Came Marching Home” and may be a parody of it or the Civil War song may have been a spin-off of this one. There is much discussion on-line and the Mudcat Cafe has a particularly interesting dialogue posted concerning the debate over when this song was first played.

Regardless of the exact place names involved in the original…the message is anti-war. I wanted to post something for St. Patrick’s Day and hopefully this song will remind you of the impact WWI had on the Irish struggle for independence.