The Three Flowers Irish Song Lyrics And Guitar Chords

Recorded by Declan Hunt, Bridie Gallagher, The Irish Rebels and Terence O'Neill & Cormac O'Moore. Guitar chords are in C in chordpro format. The Third West Cork Brigade song is also sang by ballad singer Declan Hunt.

[C]One time when walking [G]down a lane 
As [Dm]night was [F]drawing [C]nigh 
I met a [Am]colleen [Dm]with three flowers 
And [F]she more [G]young than [C]I 
[C]Saint Patrick [Am]bless you [Dm]dear said I 
"If [F]you be [g]quick to [C]tell 
The place where you did [G]find these flowers 
I [Dm]seem to [F]know [G7]so [C]well"


She took a flower and kissed it once 
And softly said to me
"This flower I found in Thomas Street 
In Dublin fair", said she 
"Its name is Robert Emmet
It's the youngest flower of all 
And I'll keep it fresh beside my breast
Though all the world should fall"


She took and kissed the next flower twice
And softly said to me
"This flower comes from the Antrim hills 
outside Belfast", said she 
"The name I call it is Wolfe Tone 
The bravest flower of all 
And I'll keep it fresh beside my breast
Though all the world should fall"


She took and kissed the next flower thrice 
And gently said to me
"This flower comes from the Wicklow hills 
Its name is Dwyer", said she 
"And Emmet, Tone and Dwyer I'll keep 
For I do love them all 
And I'll keep them fresh beside my breast 
Though all the world should fall"


So Emmet, Tone and Dwyer I'll keep 
As I do love them all 
And I'll keep them fresh beside my breast 
Though all the world should fall

The song tells of the writer meeting a young
girl carrying three flowers. She carries the 
flowers as a reminder of her love for three 
falling patriots. The first flower is a symbol 
of Robert Emmet [ lyrics ] who was the leader of the 
rebellion of 1803 and was hanged and be-headed
in Thomas Street Dublin in September of the 
same year.
 
 
The next flower she calls the sweetest 
of all is for Wolf Tone which she found in the
hills of Antrim. Wolf Tone after being found guilty
on the 10 of Nov. 1798.Rather than be executed he 
slit his throat and died nine days later on the
19 of Nov. denying the hangman his pleasure.
 
The last flower is also a symbol of the girl's
love of another united Irishman, Michael Dwyer.
He spent five years on the run in the Wicklow
Mountains fighting the British Army from 1798 
to 1803. Michael Dwyer died in Sydney in 1825,
he had been transported to Australia in 1805
as punishment for taking part in the rising.