Smashing The Van

(album: English Rebel Songs 1381-1984 - 2003)

Attend you gallant Irishmen and listen for a while
I'll sing to you the praises of the sons of Erin's Isle
It's of those gallant heroes who voluntarily ran
To release two Irish shamrocks from an English prison van
The eighteenth of September it was in that dreadful year
When sorrow and excitement ran throughout all Lancashire
At a gathering of the Irish boys they volunteered each man
To release those Irish prisoners out of the prison van

[Chorus]
Hurrah! My lads for freedom
Let's all join heart and hand
May the Lord have mercy on the boys
That helped to smash the van

In Manchester one morning those good heroes did agree
Their leaders, Kelly and Deasy, should have their liberty
They drank a health to Ireland and soon made up a plan
To meet the prisoners on the road and take and smash the van

[Chorus]

With courage bold those heroes went and soon the van did stop
They cleared the guards from back and front and then smashed in the top
But in blowing open of the lock they chanced to kill a man
So three men must die on the scaffold high for smashing of the van

[Chorus]

So now kind friends I will conclude I think it would be right
That all true hearted Irish men together should unite
Together should sympathise my friends and do the best we can
To keep the memories evergreen of the boys that smashed the van

[Chorus]