The Wolfe Tones
Protestant Men
It was back in history's page, the story's told
Of a Napper Tandy, brave and bold
With his scarlet and green, he then was seen
With his big long gun and his fighting men
And they beat at the drum, they fired their gun
And they shook the English establishment
And the Lords and the Peers, they then put fears
And Grattan got his Parliament
[Chorus]
So here's to those great protestant men
Who gave their lives to free our land
All the people sang their praises then
For the brave United Irishmen
In Belfast town there lived a man
And his name was Samuel Neilson
A minister's son, Presbyterian
Had a paper called the Northern Star
There was Henry Joy, the Green Volunteers
And Thomas Russell and McCabe and McTeir
And to them was known a man Wolfe Tone
And they formed the first United Men
[Chorus]
So here's to those great protestant men
Who gave their lives to free our land
All the people sang their praises then
For the brave United Irishmen
Sow your laws with dragons teeth and then you'll see
That you've sowed the seeds of bigotry
Be England's fool, divide they'll rule
So they set to break the United Men
And they killed them in the fields and some in jail
And some upon the gallows high
When Willie Orr died his very last cry
Was "Unite and fight, brave Irishmen"
[Chorus]
So here's to those great protestant men
Who gave their lives to free our land
All the people sang their praises then
For the brave United Irishmen
Cast dissensions to the wind, let all men lend
To the common name of an Irishman
For across history's page to rant and rage
Men crossed the pails of bigotry
There was the men of '98 no sadder fate
Lord Edward, Tone and the brothers Sheares
It was Emmet's plea in 18 and 3
When he tried to set our country free
[Chorus]
So here's to those great protestant men
Who gave their lives to free our land
All the people sang their praises then
For the brave United Irishmen