Down By The Glenside Irish lyrics and guitar chords
Down by the glenside easy guitar tab in G Major added. Written by Peadar Kearney(12 December 1883 – 24 November 1942) The 5 string banjo chords are in the key of Am. This song is sometimes mistakenly called ''The Bold Fenian Men'' which is a different song Bold Fenian Men lyrics and chords The youtube video is Jim McCann. Change guitar chords to suit your voice. The ukulele chords are included. I have included the chords in the key The Dubliners use with Jim singing. [ An Old Irish Rebel Song ] The song was also recorded by The Clancy Brothers And Tommy Makem, The Holohan Sisters, Frances Black, Ken Curtis And The Sons Of The Pioneers. From The Movie Rio Grande staring John Wayne, Cathy Jordan also sang it and the title used on youtube is The Bold Fenian Men. Guitar chords are in the chordpro format.
T[Am]was down by the[C] glenside I[Am] met an old [C]woman,
A-[Am]plucking young[C] nettles, nor[Am] saw I was [C]coming.
I[Am] listened awhile to the[C] song she was[G] humming,
Glory -[Am]o, Glory-[G]Go, to the[Am] Bold Fenian Men.
'Tis sixteen long years since I saw the moon beaming
On brave manly forms, and their eyes were heart gleaming.
I see them all now sure in all my daydreaming.
Glory -o, Glory-o, to the Bold Fenian Men.
Some died by the hillside, some died with a stranger
And wise men have judged that their cause was a failure,
They fought for old Ireland and they never feared danger.
Glory -o, Glory-o, to the Bold Fenian Men.
I passed on my way, thanks to God, that I met her
Be life long or short, sure I'll never forget her
There may have been brave men, but they'll never be better.
Glory -o, Glory-o, to the Bold Fenian Men.
[There's another verse not often sung: Sent to me by Diarmuid Breatnach]
When I was a girl, their marching and drilling
Awoke in the glenside, sounds awesome and thrilling:
They loved dear old Ireland and to die they were willing
Glory oh, Glory oh to the bold Fenian Men.
Included below are the 5 string banjo chords for the key of Am
A-[Am]plucking young[C] nettles, nor[Am] saw I was [C]coming.
I[Am] listened awhile to the[C] song she was[G] humming,
Glory -[Am]o, Glory-[G]Go, to the[Am] Bold Fenian Men.
'Tis sixteen long years since I saw the moon beaming
On brave manly forms, and their eyes were heart gleaming.
I see them all now sure in all my daydreaming.
Glory -o, Glory-o, to the Bold Fenian Men.
Some died by the hillside, some died with a stranger
And wise men have judged that their cause was a failure,
They fought for old Ireland and they never feared danger.
Glory -o, Glory-o, to the Bold Fenian Men.
I passed on my way, thanks to God, that I met her
Be life long or short, sure I'll never forget her
There may have been brave men, but they'll never be better.
Glory -o, Glory-o, to the Bold Fenian Men.
[There's another verse not often sung: Sent to me by Diarmuid Breatnach]
When I was a girl, their marching and drilling
Awoke in the glenside, sounds awesome and thrilling:
They loved dear old Ireland and to die they were willing
Glory oh, Glory oh to the bold Fenian Men.
Included below are the 5 string banjo chords for the key of Am
Key: A minor
Time Signature: 3/4 (Irish waltz)
Tempo: ≈70–80 BPM (slow and flowing)
🎸 Strumming Pattern (3/4 Time)
Down – Down – Up
(count 1 – 2 – 3)
or for a softer folk touch:
Bass – Down – Up (thumb for bass, fingers for brush)
Keep it gentle and steady, letting chords ring through the measure.
Verse 1
'T[Am]was down by the [C]glenside I [Am]met an old [C]woman,
A-[Am]plucking young [C]nettles, nor [Am]saw I was [C]coming.
I [Am]listened awhile to the [C]song she was [G]humming,
Glory - [Am]o, Glory - [G]o, to the [Am]Bold Fenian Men.
Verse 2
'Tis [Am]sixteen long [C]years since I [Am]saw the moon [C]beaming
On [Am]brave manly [C]forms, and their [Am]eyes were heart [C]gleaming.
I [Am]see them all now sure in [C]all my day[G]dreaming,
Glory - [Am]o, Glory - [G]o, to the [Am]Bold Fenian Men.
Verse 3
Some [Am]died by the [C]hillside, some [Am]died with a [C]stranger,
And [Am]wise men have [C]judged that their [Am]cause was a [C]failure.
They [Am]fought for old Ireland and [C]never feared [G]danger,
Glory - [Am]o, Glory - [G]o, to the [Am]Bold Fenian Men.
Verse 4
I [Am]passed on my [C]way, thanks to [Am]God that I [C]met her,
Be [Am]life long or [C]short, sure I’ll [Am]never for[C]get her.
There [Am]may have been brave men, but [C]they’ll never be [G]better,
Glory - [Am]o, Glory - [G]o, to the [Am]Bold Fenian Men.
🎶 Performance Tips
Keep a slow, expressive pulse — almost like a lament.
Let open strings ring between chord changes for warmth.
On the final verse, drop the volume and slow the tempo to a soft, emotional ending.
Time Signature: 3/4 (Irish waltz)
Tempo: ≈70–80 BPM (slow and flowing)
🎸 Strumming Pattern (3/4 Time)
Down – Down – Up
(count 1 – 2 – 3)
or for a softer folk touch:
Bass – Down – Up (thumb for bass, fingers for brush)
Keep it gentle and steady, letting chords ring through the measure.
Verse 1
'T[Am]was down by the [C]glenside I [Am]met an old [C]woman,
A-[Am]plucking young [C]nettles, nor [Am]saw I was [C]coming.
I [Am]listened awhile to the [C]song she was [G]humming,
Glory - [Am]o, Glory - [G]o, to the [Am]Bold Fenian Men.
Verse 2
'Tis [Am]sixteen long [C]years since I [Am]saw the moon [C]beaming
On [Am]brave manly [C]forms, and their [Am]eyes were heart [C]gleaming.
I [Am]see them all now sure in [C]all my day[G]dreaming,
Glory - [Am]o, Glory - [G]o, to the [Am]Bold Fenian Men.
Verse 3
Some [Am]died by the [C]hillside, some [Am]died with a [C]stranger,
And [Am]wise men have [C]judged that their [Am]cause was a [C]failure.
They [Am]fought for old Ireland and [C]never feared [G]danger,
Glory - [Am]o, Glory - [G]o, to the [Am]Bold Fenian Men.
Verse 4
I [Am]passed on my [C]way, thanks to [Am]God that I [C]met her,
Be [Am]life long or [C]short, sure I’ll [Am]never for[C]get her.
There [Am]may have been brave men, but [C]they’ll never be [G]better,
Glory - [Am]o, Glory - [G]o, to the [Am]Bold Fenian Men.
🎶 Performance Tips
Keep a slow, expressive pulse — almost like a lament.
Let open strings ring between chord changes for warmth.
On the final verse, drop the volume and slow the tempo to a soft, emotional ending.
Jim McCann singer of Down By The Glenside
Key: E minor
Time Signature: 3/4 (Irish waltz)
Tempo: ~70–80 BPM
🎸 Strumming Pattern (3/4 Time)
Down – Down – Up
(count: 1 – 2 – 3)
or fingerpicking:
Bass (thumb) – Down – Up (fingers)
Let the chords breathe — this song benefits from slow, expressive phrasing.
Verse 1
'T[Em]was down by the [G]glenside I [Em]met an old [G]woman,
A-[Em]plucking young [G]nettles, nor [Em]saw I was [G]coming.
I [Em]listened awhile to the [G]song she was [D]humming,
Glory - [Em]o, Glory - [D]o, to the [Em]Bold Fenian Men.
Verse 2
'Tis [Em]sixteen long [G]years since I [Em]saw the moon [G]beaming
On [Em]brave manly [G]forms, and their [Em]eyes were heart [G]gleaming.
I [Em]see them all now sure in [G]all my day[D]dreaming,
Glory - [Em]o, Glory - [D]o, to the [Em]Bold Fenian Men.
Verse 3
Some [Em]died by the [G]hillside, some [Em]died with a [G]stranger,
And [Em]wise men have [G]judged that their [Em]cause was a [G]failure.
They [Em]fought for old Ireland and [G]never feared [D]danger,
Glory - [Em]o, Glory - [D]o, to the [Em]Bold Fenian Men.
Verse 4
I [Em]passed on my [G]way, thanks to [Em]God that I [G]met her,
Be [Em]life long or [G]short, sure I’ll [Em]never for[G]get her.
There [Em]may have been brave men, but [G]they’ll never be [D]better,
Glory - [Em]o, Glory - [D]o, to the [Em]Bold Fenian Men.
🎶 Performance Tips
Use a slow waltz feel (ONE–two–three) to create a gentle sway.
Try a hammer-on or bass walk between Em → G for depth.
End softly with a single down strum or arpeggio on the final Em.
Time Signature: 3/4 (Irish waltz)
Tempo: ~70–80 BPM
🎸 Strumming Pattern (3/4 Time)
Down – Down – Up
(count: 1 – 2 – 3)
or fingerpicking:
Bass (thumb) – Down – Up (fingers)
Let the chords breathe — this song benefits from slow, expressive phrasing.
Verse 1
'T[Em]was down by the [G]glenside I [Em]met an old [G]woman,
A-[Em]plucking young [G]nettles, nor [Em]saw I was [G]coming.
I [Em]listened awhile to the [G]song she was [D]humming,
Glory - [Em]o, Glory - [D]o, to the [Em]Bold Fenian Men.
Verse 2
'Tis [Em]sixteen long [G]years since I [Em]saw the moon [G]beaming
On [Em]brave manly [G]forms, and their [Em]eyes were heart [G]gleaming.
I [Em]see them all now sure in [G]all my day[D]dreaming,
Glory - [Em]o, Glory - [D]o, to the [Em]Bold Fenian Men.
Verse 3
Some [Em]died by the [G]hillside, some [Em]died with a [G]stranger,
And [Em]wise men have [G]judged that their [Em]cause was a [G]failure.
They [Em]fought for old Ireland and [G]never feared [D]danger,
Glory - [Em]o, Glory - [D]o, to the [Em]Bold Fenian Men.
Verse 4
I [Em]passed on my [G]way, thanks to [Em]God that I [G]met her,
Be [Em]life long or [G]short, sure I’ll [Em]never for[G]get her.
There [Em]may have been brave men, but [G]they’ll never be [D]better,
Glory - [Em]o, Glory - [D]o, to the [Em]Bold Fenian Men.
🎶 Performance Tips
Use a slow waltz feel (ONE–two–three) to create a gentle sway.
Try a hammer-on or bass walk between Em → G for depth.
End softly with a single down strum or arpeggio on the final Em.
🎸 Fingerpicking Pattern (3/4 Time)
Use a Travis-style rolling waltz:
Bass – Middle – Index – Middle
(Thumb) (Ring) (Index) (Ring)
Or, think of it as:
P – i – m – i
(Thumb on bass string, fingers on treble strings)
Example (for each chord):
Em chord: E(6) – G(3) – B(2) – G(3)
G chord: G(6) – B(3) – D(2) – B(3)
D chord: D(4) – A(3) – F#(2) – A(3)
Keep a flowing rhythm:
1 – 2 – 3 | 1 – 2 – 3
Each chord gets a full bar.
Verse 1
'T[Em]was down by the [G]glenside I [Em]met an old [G]woman,
A-[Em]plucking young [G]nettles, nor [Em]saw I was [G]coming.
I [Em]listened awhile to the [G]song she was [D]humming,
Glory - [Em]o, Glory - [D]o, to the [Em]Bold Fenian Men.
(Fingerpick softly; emphasize bass on beat 1 of each measure.)
Verse 2
'Tis [Em]sixteen long [G]years since I [Em]saw the moon [G]beaming
On [Em]brave manly [G]forms, and their [Em]eyes were heart [G]gleaming.
I [Em]see them all now sure in [G]all my day[D]dreaming,
Glory - [Em]o, Glory - [D]o, to the [Em]Bold Fenian Men.
Verse 3
Some [Em]died by the [G]hillside, some [Em]died with a [G]stranger,
And [Em]wise men have [G]judged that their [Em]cause was a [G]failure.
They [Em]fought for old Ireland and [G]never feared [D]danger,
Glory - [Em]o, Glory - [D]o, to the [Em]Bold Fenian Men.
Verse 4
I [Em]passed on my [G]way, thanks to [Em]God that I [G]met her,
Be [Em]life long or [G]short, sure I’ll [Em]never for[G]get her.
There [Em]may have been brave men, but [G]they’ll never be [D]better,
Glory - [Em]o, Glory - [D]o, to the [Em]Bold Fenian Men.
🎶 Performance Notes
Let the open strings (especially the high E and B) ring freely for that Celtic shimmer.
On the final verse, slow down and arpeggiate each chord for emotional effect.
Optional: use a D/F# between G → Em transitions for a smooth bass walk.
(Play: 2x0232)
Use a Travis-style rolling waltz:
Bass – Middle – Index – Middle
(Thumb) (Ring) (Index) (Ring)
Or, think of it as:
P – i – m – i
(Thumb on bass string, fingers on treble strings)
Example (for each chord):
Em chord: E(6) – G(3) – B(2) – G(3)
G chord: G(6) – B(3) – D(2) – B(3)
D chord: D(4) – A(3) – F#(2) – A(3)
Keep a flowing rhythm:
1 – 2 – 3 | 1 – 2 – 3
Each chord gets a full bar.
Verse 1
'T[Em]was down by the [G]glenside I [Em]met an old [G]woman,
A-[Em]plucking young [G]nettles, nor [Em]saw I was [G]coming.
I [Em]listened awhile to the [G]song she was [D]humming,
Glory - [Em]o, Glory - [D]o, to the [Em]Bold Fenian Men.
(Fingerpick softly; emphasize bass on beat 1 of each measure.)
Verse 2
'Tis [Em]sixteen long [G]years since I [Em]saw the moon [G]beaming
On [Em]brave manly [G]forms, and their [Em]eyes were heart [G]gleaming.
I [Em]see them all now sure in [G]all my day[D]dreaming,
Glory - [Em]o, Glory - [D]o, to the [Em]Bold Fenian Men.
Verse 3
Some [Em]died by the [G]hillside, some [Em]died with a [G]stranger,
And [Em]wise men have [G]judged that their [Em]cause was a [G]failure.
They [Em]fought for old Ireland and [G]never feared [D]danger,
Glory - [Em]o, Glory - [D]o, to the [Em]Bold Fenian Men.
Verse 4
I [Em]passed on my [G]way, thanks to [Em]God that I [G]met her,
Be [Em]life long or [G]short, sure I’ll [Em]never for[G]get her.
There [Em]may have been brave men, but [G]they’ll never be [D]better,
Glory - [Em]o, Glory - [D]o, to the [Em]Bold Fenian Men.
🎶 Performance Notes
Let the open strings (especially the high E and B) ring freely for that Celtic shimmer.
On the final verse, slow down and arpeggiate each chord for emotional effect.
Optional: use a D/F# between G → Em transitions for a smooth bass walk.
(Play: 2x0232)
Down by the glenside guitar tab in G Major
Below is Down by the glenside tenor guitar / mandola tab in CGDA
These are the chords as played by The Dubliners with Jim McCann singing.
The intro. Dm Am Dm
T[Dm]was down by the[C] glenside I[F] met an old [Dm]woman,
A-plucking young[C] nettles, [F]nor saw I was [Dm]coming.
I[Dm] listened awhile to the[F] song she [Am]was humming,
[F]Glory -o, [Dm]Glory-O to the Bold Fenian Men.[Am][Dm]
The intro. Dm Am Dm
T[Dm]was down by the[C] glenside I[F] met an old [Dm]woman,
A-plucking young[C] nettles, [F]nor saw I was [Dm]coming.
I[Dm] listened awhile to the[F] song she [Am]was humming,
[F]Glory -o, [Dm]Glory-O to the Bold Fenian Men.[Am][Dm]
Down by the glenside first page of the sheet music by Delia Smith from 1947
The Irish song 'Down By The Glenside', also known as 'The Bold Fenian Men' or 'The Men of the West', is a powerful and poignant ballad that has stood the test of time and remains a beloved part of Irish culture. It tells the story of the Irish struggle for independence and the sacrifices made by the brave men and women who fought for their country.
The song was written by Peadar Kearney, a renowned Irish nationalist and songwriter, in the early 20th century. It quickly gained popularity and became a symbol of resistance and patriotism for the Irish people. Its haunting melody and powerful lyrics captured the hearts of listeners and became a staple in Irish folk music.
At its core, 'Down By The Glenside' is a song of rebellion and defiance. It is a tribute to the Irish Republican Brotherhood, a secret organization that was instrumental in the fight for Irish independence. The lyrics speak of the brave men who joined the cause, leaving their homes and loved ones behind to fight for their country. The song also acknowledges the sacrifices made by the women who supported the cause and played vital roles in the struggle.
The glenside in the title refers to the rolling hills and valleys of the Irish countryside, a place that holds great significance in Irish history and mythology. The glenside was a place of refuge for those who were persecuted for their beliefs and a place where the spirit of rebellion and resistance thrived.
The song was written by Peadar Kearney, a renowned Irish nationalist and songwriter, in the early 20th century. It quickly gained popularity and became a symbol of resistance and patriotism for the Irish people. Its haunting melody and powerful lyrics captured the hearts of listeners and became a staple in Irish folk music.
At its core, 'Down By The Glenside' is a song of rebellion and defiance. It is a tribute to the Irish Republican Brotherhood, a secret organization that was instrumental in the fight for Irish independence. The lyrics speak of the brave men who joined the cause, leaving their homes and loved ones behind to fight for their country. The song also acknowledges the sacrifices made by the women who supported the cause and played vital roles in the struggle.
The glenside in the title refers to the rolling hills and valleys of the Irish countryside, a place that holds great significance in Irish history and mythology. The glenside was a place of refuge for those who were persecuted for their beliefs and a place where the spirit of rebellion and resistance thrived.
