Follow Me Up To Carlow, Lyrics And Guitar Chords
Follow Me Up To Carlow Irish folk / rebel song Lyrics And Guitar Chords. The sheet music and tin whistle notes are included for a D whistle. The five string banjo chords are also here along with the mandolin sheet music tab with lyrics. The song was written by Patrick Joseph McCall. Guitar chords in chordpro. In 1580 Fiach Mc O' Byrne completely overthrew the forces of the crown at ''The Pass Of Glen Malure'' in Wicklow. recorded by Planxty, Christy Moore along with The Young Dubliners, Paddy Reilly and Jim McCann. Irish rebel music. Recently recorded by Irish ballad group The High Kings on their new album Grace And Glory. The youtube video is by Irish singer Paddy Reilly who, by the way was the first to have a hit with The Fields Of Athenry Song all those years ago.
The third and forth verses were written by Alan Barrett
The third and forth verses were written by Alan Barrett
Follow Me Up To Carlow Song Lyrics & Chords In The Key Of Am
[Am] Lift MacCahir[Em] Og your face[Am] brooding o'er the[Em] old disgrace
That[Am] black FitzWilliam[Em] stormed your place, [C]drove you to the[Am] Fern
[Am]Grey said victor[Em]y was sure[Am] soon the firebrand[Em he'd secure;
Un[Am]til he met at[Em] Glenmalure with[C] Feach MacHugh O'[Am]Byrne.
Ch.:[Em] Curse and swear Lord Kildare
[G]Feagh will do what Feach will dare
[EmNow FitzWilliam, have a care
[G]Fallen is your[Am] star, low
[Em]Up with halbert out with sword
On[G] we'll go for by the lord
[Em]Feach MacHugh has given the word,
[G]Follow me up to[Am] Carlow.
See the swords of Glen Imayle, flashing o'er the English Pale
See all the children of the Gael, beneath O'Byrne's banners
Rooster of the fighting stock, would you let a Saxon cock
Crow out upon an Irish rock, fly up and teach him manners.
Ch.:[Em] Curse and swear Lord Kildare
[G]Feagh will do what Feach will dare
[EmNow FitzWilliam, have a care
[G]Fallen is your[Am] star, low
[Em]Up with halbert out with sword
On[G] we'll go for by the lord
[Em]Feach MacHugh has given the word,
[G]Follow me up to[Am] Carlow.
England’s power and pomp shall feel
Ireland’s justly vengeful steel,
While Fiach MacAodha is loath to kneel
Before a Tyrant’s throne!
The glen once more’s a battle-field:
Baile na Corra they’ll never yield!
Shield, blade and axe and spear they’ll wield
Until the day is won!
When Faith in Ireland mattered most,
James Baltlinglas joined Fiach’s host:
Then roused from slumber was the ghost
Of Art MacMurchadh-Caomhánach!
Six-thousand men that marched with Grey,
Like Colonel Moore, would find that day
Keen hidden Kerns who’d hack away
To quicken them back to Ráth Droma!
From Tassagart to Clonmore, there flows a stream of Saxon gore
Och, great is Rory Oge O'More, sending the loons to Hades.
White is sick and Lane is fled, now for black FitzWilliam's head
We'll send it over, dripping red, to Queen Liza and the ladies
[Am] Lift MacCahir[Em] Og your face[Am] brooding o'er the[Em] old disgrace
That[Am] black FitzWilliam[Em] stormed your place, [C]drove you to the[Am] Fern
[Am]Grey said victor[Em]y was sure[Am] soon the firebrand[Em he'd secure;
Un[Am]til he met at[Em] Glenmalure with[C] Feach MacHugh O'[Am]Byrne.
Ch.:[Em] Curse and swear Lord Kildare
[G]Feagh will do what Feach will dare
[EmNow FitzWilliam, have a care
[G]Fallen is your[Am] star, low
[Em]Up with halbert out with sword
On[G] we'll go for by the lord
[Em]Feach MacHugh has given the word,
[G]Follow me up to[Am] Carlow.
See the swords of Glen Imayle, flashing o'er the English Pale
See all the children of the Gael, beneath O'Byrne's banners
Rooster of the fighting stock, would you let a Saxon cock
Crow out upon an Irish rock, fly up and teach him manners.
Ch.:[Em] Curse and swear Lord Kildare
[G]Feagh will do what Feach will dare
[EmNow FitzWilliam, have a care
[G]Fallen is your[Am] star, low
[Em]Up with halbert out with sword
On[G] we'll go for by the lord
[Em]Feach MacHugh has given the word,
[G]Follow me up to[Am] Carlow.
England’s power and pomp shall feel
Ireland’s justly vengeful steel,
While Fiach MacAodha is loath to kneel
Before a Tyrant’s throne!
The glen once more’s a battle-field:
Baile na Corra they’ll never yield!
Shield, blade and axe and spear they’ll wield
Until the day is won!
When Faith in Ireland mattered most,
James Baltlinglas joined Fiach’s host:
Then roused from slumber was the ghost
Of Art MacMurchadh-Caomhánach!
Six-thousand men that marched with Grey,
Like Colonel Moore, would find that day
Keen hidden Kerns who’d hack away
To quicken them back to Ráth Droma!
From Tassagart to Clonmore, there flows a stream of Saxon gore
Och, great is Rory Oge O'More, sending the loons to Hades.
White is sick and Lane is fled, now for black FitzWilliam's head
We'll send it over, dripping red, to Queen Liza and the ladies
Alternative chords in the key of Dm for Follow Me Up To Carlow
Irish Lyrics And Chords C-F
[Dm] Lift MacCahir[Am] Og your face[Dm] brooding o'er the[Am] old disgrace
That[Dm] black FitzWilliam[Am] stormed your place, [F]drove you to the[Dm] Fern
[Dm]Grey said victor[Am]y was sure[Dm] soon the firebrand[Am] he'd secure;
Un[Dm]til he met at[Am] Glenmalure with[F] Feach MacHugh O'[Dm]Byrne.
Ch.:[Am] Curse and swear Lord Kildare
[C]Feagh will do what Feach will dare
[Am]Now FitzWilliam, have a care
[C]Fallen is your[Dm] star, low
[Am]Up with halbert out with sword
On[C] we'll go for by the lord
[Am]Feach MacHugh has given the word,
[C]Follow me up to[Dm] Carlow.
Irish Lyrics And Chords C-F
[Dm] Lift MacCahir[Am] Og your face[Dm] brooding o'er the[Am] old disgrace
That[Dm] black FitzWilliam[Am] stormed your place, [F]drove you to the[Dm] Fern
[Dm]Grey said victor[Am]y was sure[Dm] soon the firebrand[Am] he'd secure;
Un[Dm]til he met at[Am] Glenmalure with[F] Feach MacHugh O'[Dm]Byrne.
Ch.:[Am] Curse and swear Lord Kildare
[C]Feagh will do what Feach will dare
[Am]Now FitzWilliam, have a care
[C]Fallen is your[Dm] star, low
[Am]Up with halbert out with sword
On[C] we'll go for by the lord
[Am]Feach MacHugh has given the word,
[C]Follow me up to[Dm] Carlow.
Follow me up to Carlow lyrics
Although the sheet music is in the key of Am, I have set the tin whistle notes to be played on a D whistle.
Follow me up to Carlow banjo mandolin tab with lyrics
Below is the ebook list of Irish Folk Songs with guitar chords
in 3 keys. Price €8.90 and I'll email the ebook after purchase .
The chords are suited to ukulele, banjo or mandolin also.
Martin
in 3 keys. Price €8.90 and I'll email the ebook after purchase .
The chords are suited to ukulele, banjo or mandolin also.
Martin
🇮🇪 Follow Me Up to Carlow
Type: Irish Rebel Song
Writer: Patrick Joseph McCall (1861–1919)
Music: Traditional (adapted from a much older air, possibly Eileen Aroon)
First Published: 1899, in The Feis Ceoil Collection
Popular Recordings:
The Dubliners
Planxty (with Christy Moore)
The Wolfe Tones
🏴☠️ Historical Background
“Follow Me Up to Carlow” is a rousing Irish rebel song that celebrates Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne, a chieftain of the Wicklow Mountains who led successful uprisings against English rule in the late 16th century.
The song was written by Patrick Joseph McCall, a Dublin-born poet and songwriter known for historical ballads like Boolavogue and Kelly the Boy from Killanne.
Set around the Battle of Glenmalure (1580) — where O’Byrne and his Irish forces routed an English army under Arthur Grey, Lord Deputy of Ireland — the song is both a call to arms and a celebration of defiance against oppression.
⚔️ Who Was Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne?
Fiach (pronounced “Fee-akh”) was a Wicklow clan chieftain, known as The Firebrand of the Wicklow Hills.
From his stronghold at Ballinacor, near Glenmalure, he resisted English incursions into Leinster for decades.
He fought alongside other famous Irish leaders, including:
Hugh O’Neill (Earl of Tyrone)
Hugh Roe O’Donnell
and the Fitzgeralds of Kildare
O’Byrne’s most famous victory came in 1580, when his forces ambushed and annihilated an English army in the Glenmalure Valley.
The rallying cry “Follow Me Up to Carlow” refers to O’Byrne’s invitation to the Irish clans of Leinster to join him and take the fight further into enemy territory — toward Carlow, a key English garrison town.
🎵 Lyrics (abridged)
Lift MacCahir Óg your face,
Brooding o’er the old disgrace
That black Fitzwilliam stormed your place,
Drove you to the fern.
Grey said victory was sure,
Soon the firebrand he’d secure --
Until he met at Glenmalure
With Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne!
Up with halberd, out with sword,
On we go for by the Lord!
Fiach MacHugh has given the word:
"Follow me up to Carlow!"
💡 Meaning and Symbolism
Every line of this song is loaded with Irish history and nationalist symbolism:
“MacCahir Óg” – A poetic reference to the descendants of Cahir O’Byrne, Fiach’s ancestors.
“Black Fitzwilliam” – Refers to Sir William Fitzwilliam, the English Lord Deputy of Ireland, who attempted to suppress the O’Byrnes.
“Glenmalure” – A steep valley in Wicklow where O’Byrne’s forces destroyed the English army.
“Firebrand” – A nickname for Fiach, representing his fierce resistance.
The repeated chorus — “Follow me up to Carlow!” — is not literal; Carlow was symbolic of the fight against English garrisons in Leinster. It’s a defiant rallying cry, urging the Irish to rise together.
🪗 Musical Style
Time signature: 6/8 (march-like, with a driving rhythm)
Key: Often performed in D minor or E minor
Tempo: Lively and martial, with a strong “triplet” pulse — typical of Irish war songs.
Instruments: Bouzouki, fiddle, bodhrán, tin whistle, and guitar are common in modern versions.
Planxty’s version (1973) is widely regarded as the definitive modern interpretation, blending traditional energy with Christy Moore’s commanding vocals.
📜 Patrick Joseph McCall – The Poet
P.J. McCall (1861–1919) was one of Ireland’s great nationalist poets.
Like Thomas Davis and Thomas Moore before him, McCall used history and legend to inspire pride in Irish identity.
Other famous McCall songs include:
Boolavogue (about Father John Murphy and the 1798 Rebellion)
Kelly the Boy from Killanne
The Boys of Wexford
Each of his works combines historical accuracy with a lyrical, singable structure — ideal for the Irish folk revival generations later.
🎤 Famous Recordings
Planxty (1973): Their version made the song a staple of the Irish folk revival — fiery, rhythmic, and full of life.
The Dubliners: Luke Kelly’s booming voice gives it a raw, heroic edge.
The Wolfe Tones: Their version emphasizes the rebel spirit with more militaristic drive.
Steeleye Span: Added a Celtic-rock flair for broader audiences.
🇮🇪 Legacy and Cultural Impact
“Follow Me Up to Carlow” remains a cornerstone of the Irish rebel song canon, often sung at folk sessions, St. Patrick’s Day events, and historical commemorations.
It’s a song that unites history, myth, and music, reminding listeners of Ireland’s centuries-long struggle for freedom.
It celebrates not just warfare, but Irish courage, wit, and resistance — the enduring pride of a small nation that refused to bow.
🕯️ Summary Table
Aspect Details
Song Title Follow Me Up to Carlow
Writer Patrick Joseph McCall
Date 1899
Historical Setting 1580 – Battle of Glenmalure
Hero Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne of Wicklow
Themes Rebellion, Irish pride, resistance
Famous Versions Planxty, The Dubliners, The Wolfe Tones
Mood Fierce, triumphant, defiant
💬 Final Thoughts
Follow Me Up to Carlow is more than just a song — it’s an anthem of Irish spirit.
With its galloping rhythm and vivid imagery, it bridges the gap between history and legend, transforming a 16th-century rebellion into a timeless celebration of courage and independence.
Even today, when the chorus roars out in a crowded pub or festival, you can feel that ancient fire of Wicklow’s hills — the cry of Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne calling his men to rise once more.
Type: Irish Rebel Song
Writer: Patrick Joseph McCall (1861–1919)
Music: Traditional (adapted from a much older air, possibly Eileen Aroon)
First Published: 1899, in The Feis Ceoil Collection
Popular Recordings:
The Dubliners
Planxty (with Christy Moore)
The Wolfe Tones
🏴☠️ Historical Background
“Follow Me Up to Carlow” is a rousing Irish rebel song that celebrates Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne, a chieftain of the Wicklow Mountains who led successful uprisings against English rule in the late 16th century.
The song was written by Patrick Joseph McCall, a Dublin-born poet and songwriter known for historical ballads like Boolavogue and Kelly the Boy from Killanne.
Set around the Battle of Glenmalure (1580) — where O’Byrne and his Irish forces routed an English army under Arthur Grey, Lord Deputy of Ireland — the song is both a call to arms and a celebration of defiance against oppression.
⚔️ Who Was Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne?
Fiach (pronounced “Fee-akh”) was a Wicklow clan chieftain, known as The Firebrand of the Wicklow Hills.
From his stronghold at Ballinacor, near Glenmalure, he resisted English incursions into Leinster for decades.
He fought alongside other famous Irish leaders, including:
Hugh O’Neill (Earl of Tyrone)
Hugh Roe O’Donnell
and the Fitzgeralds of Kildare
O’Byrne’s most famous victory came in 1580, when his forces ambushed and annihilated an English army in the Glenmalure Valley.
The rallying cry “Follow Me Up to Carlow” refers to O’Byrne’s invitation to the Irish clans of Leinster to join him and take the fight further into enemy territory — toward Carlow, a key English garrison town.
🎵 Lyrics (abridged)
Lift MacCahir Óg your face,
Brooding o’er the old disgrace
That black Fitzwilliam stormed your place,
Drove you to the fern.
Grey said victory was sure,
Soon the firebrand he’d secure --
Until he met at Glenmalure
With Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne!
Up with halberd, out with sword,
On we go for by the Lord!
Fiach MacHugh has given the word:
"Follow me up to Carlow!"
💡 Meaning and Symbolism
Every line of this song is loaded with Irish history and nationalist symbolism:
“MacCahir Óg” – A poetic reference to the descendants of Cahir O’Byrne, Fiach’s ancestors.
“Black Fitzwilliam” – Refers to Sir William Fitzwilliam, the English Lord Deputy of Ireland, who attempted to suppress the O’Byrnes.
“Glenmalure” – A steep valley in Wicklow where O’Byrne’s forces destroyed the English army.
“Firebrand” – A nickname for Fiach, representing his fierce resistance.
The repeated chorus — “Follow me up to Carlow!” — is not literal; Carlow was symbolic of the fight against English garrisons in Leinster. It’s a defiant rallying cry, urging the Irish to rise together.
🪗 Musical Style
Time signature: 6/8 (march-like, with a driving rhythm)
Key: Often performed in D minor or E minor
Tempo: Lively and martial, with a strong “triplet” pulse — typical of Irish war songs.
Instruments: Bouzouki, fiddle, bodhrán, tin whistle, and guitar are common in modern versions.
Planxty’s version (1973) is widely regarded as the definitive modern interpretation, blending traditional energy with Christy Moore’s commanding vocals.
📜 Patrick Joseph McCall – The Poet
P.J. McCall (1861–1919) was one of Ireland’s great nationalist poets.
Like Thomas Davis and Thomas Moore before him, McCall used history and legend to inspire pride in Irish identity.
Other famous McCall songs include:
Boolavogue (about Father John Murphy and the 1798 Rebellion)
Kelly the Boy from Killanne
The Boys of Wexford
Each of his works combines historical accuracy with a lyrical, singable structure — ideal for the Irish folk revival generations later.
🎤 Famous Recordings
Planxty (1973): Their version made the song a staple of the Irish folk revival — fiery, rhythmic, and full of life.
The Dubliners: Luke Kelly’s booming voice gives it a raw, heroic edge.
The Wolfe Tones: Their version emphasizes the rebel spirit with more militaristic drive.
Steeleye Span: Added a Celtic-rock flair for broader audiences.
🇮🇪 Legacy and Cultural Impact
“Follow Me Up to Carlow” remains a cornerstone of the Irish rebel song canon, often sung at folk sessions, St. Patrick’s Day events, and historical commemorations.
It’s a song that unites history, myth, and music, reminding listeners of Ireland’s centuries-long struggle for freedom.
It celebrates not just warfare, but Irish courage, wit, and resistance — the enduring pride of a small nation that refused to bow.
🕯️ Summary Table
Aspect Details
Song Title Follow Me Up to Carlow
Writer Patrick Joseph McCall
Date 1899
Historical Setting 1580 – Battle of Glenmalure
Hero Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne of Wicklow
Themes Rebellion, Irish pride, resistance
Famous Versions Planxty, The Dubliners, The Wolfe Tones
Mood Fierce, triumphant, defiant
💬 Final Thoughts
Follow Me Up to Carlow is more than just a song — it’s an anthem of Irish spirit.
With its galloping rhythm and vivid imagery, it bridges the gap between history and legend, transforming a 16th-century rebellion into a timeless celebration of courage and independence.
Even today, when the chorus roars out in a crowded pub or festival, you can feel that ancient fire of Wicklow’s hills — the cry of Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne calling his men to rise once more.
