With April 2016 marking the 100-year anniversary of The Rising on Easter Monday in Dublin, the final and successful rising in a long string of risings from the early 1600’s, my thoughts go to a special song written in 1843.
As a teenager in Ireland in the 1840’s, my great-great-grandfather, Thomas Joseph Kelly, was to become a priest. His eldest brother, Patrick, was in line to inherit the family interests, thus Thomas was sent to St. Jarlath’s College in Tuam, County Galway, a school that also prepped students on their path to being ordained.
While at school, Kelly was heavily influenced by one of his teachers, Michael Joseph McCann, author of the song O’Donnel Abu. The song is about Rudhraighe Ó Domhnaill (anglicized to Rory O’Donnell, B.1575—D.1608), the first Earl of Tyrconnell, an Irish chieftain who rebelled against the English when he saw his beautiful and beloved homeland being reduced to desert and famine. Rudhraighe (Rory) died in exile. Since its writing,O’Donnel Abu became the Irish freedom anthem both in Ireland and with the Irish diaspora around the world.
Thursday of last week, at the armory of the famous Fighting 69th, I was blessed to hear O’Donnel Abu as sung by Liam Murphy, an Irish-American New York City historian, retired U.S. Navy officer, and honorary member of the 69th NY Regiment. As Liam is also fluent in Irish, I hope one day soon to hear him sing Ó Domhnaill Abu with musical accompaniment.
The significance of this song to my family history is that Michael McCann’s influence on my great-great-grandfather meant his life’s work shifted from being a man of the cloth to becoming an Irish nationalist — later to become acting Head Center of the Fenian Brotherhood in New York City, and Chief Organizer of the Irish Republic (C.O.I.R.) of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) in Ireland.
The significance of the 69th NY Regiment to Colonel Kelly’s history is that as a young immigrant in New York City in the 1850’s, he was attached to the 9th NY Regiment, later amalgamated into the 69th.
The significance of Liam Murphy to my personal story is that he is one of the three historians hired to find Colonel Kelly’s living descendants, so as to be present at the 2008 dedication of his new gravestone at The Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. As none of the Colonel’s direct descendants bear the Kelly surname, the trail was lost from the pure historical approach.
Direct descendants were not present in 2008. But I did see photos posted online not long after that, and thought, “Who the hell are these people posing at my great-great-grandfather’s grave. And why the hell was I not there.”
Then, just over a year ago, on the Saturday before St Patrick’s Day 2015, Liam received a call from me, the first contact by a direct descendant. Liam warned me he was extremely busy with planning of mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and that he could not talk long. We hung up finally one hour later. Gotta love the Irish craic.
At the 2015 annual Easter Rising commemoration at The Woodlawn Cemetery, for the first time in history, descendants of Colonel Thomas J Kelly (me) and Captain Timothy Deasy (Colonel Robert J. Batemen, U.S. Army, retired) met for the first time since the historical events of 1867 in Manchester, England. Susan Olsen, the Woodlawn historian said, “Where the hell have you been? We were looking for you!”
This year, I sat in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, watched the Fighting 69th parade past the front steps, and later, witnessed the Changing of Command ceremony at the armory. Gotta love bagpipes!
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- Flag raising ceremony at St Patrick’s Cathedral about to start
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- Tri-color flying proud
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- Pano from Pew 9, south side, St Patrick’s Cathedral
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- Erica Veil and Colonel Tierney
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- Liam Murphy, Erica Veil, Colonel Robert J Bateman
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- My great-great-grandfather was in the U.S. Civil War
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- The Fighting 69th marches into the Change of Command ceremony
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- Bagpipes and drums
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- I was coined by Colonel Tierney
Further reading
The significance of O’Donnel Abu
http://www.libraryireland.com/social-history/popular-rhymes/war-cries-irish-septs.php
Leave it to the English and Walt Disney to make a travesty of the song, and of the image and pride of the Irish
“A travesty of a movie, but with some strong performances and likable characters. By the way, that fellow at 1:07 who looks like Richard III and is leering drunkenly at the serving wench and engaging in a brawl is supposed to be noble Earl Hugh O’Neill.” Michael Pauw
Lyrics to O’Donnel Abu
Listen along with The Clancy Brothers — https://youtu.be/3h78Nv4LoN4
Proudly the note of the trumpet is sounding Loudly the war cries arise on the Gael Fleetly the steed by Lough Swilly is bounding To join the thick squadrons on Saimer’s green vale On every mountaineer, strangers to flight or fear Rush to the standard of dauntless Red Hugh Bonnaught and Gallowglass, throng from each mountain Pass onward for Erin O’Donnell Abu Princely O’Neill to our aid is advancing With many a chieftain and warrior clan A thousand proud steeds in his vanguard are prancing ‘Neath the borders brave from the Banks of the Bann Many a heart shall quail under its coat of mail Deeply the merciless foeman shall rue When on his ears shall ring bourne on the breeze’s wing Tir Connail’s dread war cry, O’Donnell Abu Wildly o’er Desmond the war wolf is howling Fearless the eagle sweeps over the plain The fox in the streets of the city is prowling And all who would scare them are banished or slain On with O’Donnell then, fight the old fight again Sons of Tir Connail are valiant and true Make the proud Saxon feel Erin’s avenging steel Strike for your country O’Donnell Abu
