Oró Sé Do Bheatha Bhaile

Words: Padraig Pearse
Music: Traditional

This rousing song by one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1916 probably began it's life in the Jacobite Rebellion in Scotland in 1746 as a song in praise of Bonnie Prince Charlie. I don't know how or where Padraig Pearse would have come by the song. He wrote the new lyrics as a call to Irishmen to join in the fight for freedom. Some say that the reference to Granuaile, the 16th century 'Pirate Queen' of Connaught in the west of Ireland, is a metaphorical reference to The Countess Markievicz who also fought in the 1916 Rising.

Curfá (Chorus):
Oró sé do bheatha bhaile
Oró sé do bheatha bhaile
Oró sé do bheatha bhaile
anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh

Sé do bheatha a bhean ba léanmhar
b'é ár greach tú bheith I ngéibheann
Do dhúiche bhreá I seilbh méirleach
is tú díolta leis na Gallaibh

Ta Gráinne Mhaol ag teacht thar sáile
óglaigh armtha léi mar gharda
Gaeil iad féin's ní Gaill ná Spáinnigh
is cuirfid ruaig ag Ghallaibh

A bhuí le Rí na bheart go bheiceam
muna mbeam beo 'na dhiaidh ach seachtain
Gráinne Mhaol agus míle gaiscíoch
ag fógairt fáin ar Ghallaibh