| Clare County Library | Songs of Clare |
Gallant Tipperary
Pat
MacNamaraKilshanny, near Ennistymon Recorded August 1974
Carroll
Mackenzie Collection |
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You gallant sons of Erin’s Isle, Hurrah for the men of Tipperary Town, Oh the grandest thing that was ever seen, And now to conclude and finish my song, Hurrah for the men of Tipperary Town, |
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| “While there is no information
about this song, its origin as a rallying cry for those opposing landlordism
during the agrarian disturbances of latter half of the 19th century following
the Famine are obvious. At this time, Tipperary Town was a hotbed of conspiracy
and activity. A house on Main St was the birthplace of one of the nation's
most celebrated Fenians, John O'Leary, who was involved in the Rising
of 1848. Bank Place today is host to a bronze statue of one of O'Leary's
friends and contemporaries in the national struggle, the celebrated author
and poet Charles J Kickham. One of the more remarkable series of events
in the town took place in the late 1880s and early 1890s, during the Plan
of Campaign, when the part of town known as ‘New Tipperary’
was built. Having been evicted from their holdings by their landlord,
A. H. Smith Barry, the tenants and their supporters endeavoured to establish
buildings of their own outside of Smith Barry's control. What resulted
was a great display of unity and solidarity on the part of Tipperary's
tenants. Much of the finances for this ambitious project came from abroad,
and labourers from the surrounding villages shared the work of construction.
‘New Tipperary’ is to be found around modern-day Dillon Street.” Jim Carroll |
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