The Valley Of Knockanure lyrics and chords
The Valley Of Knockanure Lyrics, guitar chords and sheet music. Written by Brian McMahon. An Irish folk / rebel song. I first heard this from 'The Wolfe Tones in the 70's, Brian tells of a very brave group of lads who saved their village from almost certain ruin and bloodshed at the hands of 'The Black And Tans', those lads were Jeremiah Lyons, Patrick Dalton and Patrick Walsh. Also recorded by Peggy Sweeney. The sheet music and tin whistle notes are included plus the easy piano keyboard / accordion letter notes. Recently recorded by Piaras Ó Lorcáin
The piano sheet music with chords and bass is in the ebook here .
The piano sheet music with chords and bass is in the ebook here .
You[Em] may sing and[D] speak about[C] Easter[Am] Week and the[Bm] heroes of[C] Ninety[Em] Eight.
Of[Em] Fenian[G] Men who roamed the[Bm glen in [Am]victory[C] or de[D][B7?]feat.
Their[Em] names on[G] history's pages[Bm] told, their [aM]memories[C] will en[B7]dure,
Not a[Em] song was[D] sung of our[C] darling sons, in the[Bm] Valley of[Am] Knocka[Em]nure.
There was Lyons and Walsh and the Dalton boy, They were young and in their prime.
They rambled to a lonely spot where the Black and Tans did hide.
The Republic bold they did uphold, Tho' outlawed on the moor
And side by side they fought and died In the Valley of Knockanure.
It was on a neighboring hillside We listened in hushed dismay.
In every house, in every town, a young girl knelt to pray.
They're closing in around them now, with rifle fire so sure,
And Lyons is dead and young Dalton's down in the Valley of Knockanure.
But e'er [ere??] the guns could seal his fate, young Walsh had spoken thro'
With a prayer to God he spurned the sod, As against the hill he flew
The bullets tore his flesh in two, Yet he cried with voice so sure,
"Revenge I'll get for my comrade's death, in the Valley of Knockanure.
The summer sun is sinking low behind the field and lea.
The pale moonlight is shining bright far off beyond Tralee.
The dismal stars and the clouds afar are darkening o'er the moor,
And the banshee cried when young Dalton died, In the Valley of Knockanure.
Of[Em] Fenian[G] Men who roamed the[Bm glen in [Am]victory[C] or de[D][B7?]feat.
Their[Em] names on[G] history's pages[Bm] told, their [aM]memories[C] will en[B7]dure,
Not a[Em] song was[D] sung of our[C] darling sons, in the[Bm] Valley of[Am] Knocka[Em]nure.
There was Lyons and Walsh and the Dalton boy, They were young and in their prime.
They rambled to a lonely spot where the Black and Tans did hide.
The Republic bold they did uphold, Tho' outlawed on the moor
And side by side they fought and died In the Valley of Knockanure.
It was on a neighboring hillside We listened in hushed dismay.
In every house, in every town, a young girl knelt to pray.
They're closing in around them now, with rifle fire so sure,
And Lyons is dead and young Dalton's down in the Valley of Knockanure.
But e'er [ere??] the guns could seal his fate, young Walsh had spoken thro'
With a prayer to God he spurned the sod, As against the hill he flew
The bullets tore his flesh in two, Yet he cried with voice so sure,
"Revenge I'll get for my comrade's death, in the Valley of Knockanure.
The summer sun is sinking low behind the field and lea.
The pale moonlight is shining bright far off beyond Tralee.
The dismal stars and the clouds afar are darkening o'er the moor,
And the banshee cried when young Dalton died, In the Valley of Knockanure.
It’s traditionally sung slowly and with deep emotion — often a cappella, but it works gorgeously with soft fingerpicking or gentle 3/4 strumming in E minor (its natural key).
Below you’ll find:
✅ Full chords for all verses
✅ A fitting strumming pattern (slow 3/4 waltz)
✅ A fingerstyle guitar tab for the first verse + chorus refrain
🎵 1. Full Song with Chords (in E Minor)
[Verse 1]
You [Em]may sing and [D]speak about [C]Easter [Am]Week
And the [Bm]heroes of [C]Ninety [Em]Eight,
Of [Em]Fenian [G]Men who roamed the [Bm]glen
In [Am]victory, [C]or de[D]feat.
Their [Em]names on [G]history's [Bm]pages told,
Their [Am]memories [C]will en[B7]dure,
But no [Em]song was [D]sung of our [C]darling sons,
In the [Bm]Valley of [Am]Knocka[Em]nure.
[Verse 2]
There was [Em]Lyons and [D]Walsh and the [C]Dalton [Am]boy,
They were [Bm]young and in [C]their prime.
They [Em]rambled [G]to a lonely [Bm]spot
Where the [Am]Black and [C]Tans did [D]hide.
The [Em]Republic [G]bold they [Bm]did uphold,
Tho’ [Am]outlawed [C]on the [B7]moor,
And [Em]side by [D]side they [C]fought and died,
In the [Bm]Valley of [Am]Knocka[Em]nure.
[Verse 3]
It was [Em]on a [D]neighboring [C]hillside,
We [Am]listened in [Bm]hushed dis[C]may.
In [Em]every [G]house, in [Bm]every town,
A [Am]young girl [C]knelt to [D]pray.
They’re [Em]closing [G]in around them [Bm]now,
With [Am]rifle [C]fire so [B7]sure,
And [Em]Lyons is [D]dead, and [C]young Dalton’s down,
In the [Bm]Valley of [Am]Knocka[Em]nure.
[Verse 4]
But [Em]ere the [D]guns could [C]seal his [Am]fate,
Young [Bm]Walsh had [C]spoken [Em]through,
With a [Em]prayer to [G]God he spurned the [Bm]sod,
As a[Am]gainst the [C]hill he [D]flew.
The [Em]bullets [G]tore his [Bm]flesh in two,
Yet he [Am]cried with [C]voice so [B7]sure,
“Re[Em]venge I’ll [D]get for my [C]comrade’s death,
In the [Bm]Valley of [Am]Knocka[Em]nure.”
[Verse 5]
The [Em]summer [D]sun is [C]sinking [Am]low,
Be[Bm]hind the [C]field and [Em]lea,
The [Em]pale moon[G]light is [Bm]shining bright,
Far [Am]off be[C]yond Tra[D]lee.
The [Em]dismal [G]stars and [Bm]clouds afar,
Are [Am]dark’ning [C]o’er the [B7]moor,
And the [Em]banshee [D]cried when [C]young Dalton died,
In the [Bm]Valley of [Am]Knocka[Em]nure.
🎸 2. STRUMMING PATTERN
Time Signature: 3/4 (slow waltz time)
Tempo: 70–75 BPM (slow and solemn)
➤ Pattern:
↓ ↓↑ ↑↓↑
Count: 1 2–3 4–5–6
Beat 1: gentle bass-focused downstroke
Beats 2–6: light, smooth strums across treble strings
Keep motion continuous, like the roll of a lament or heartbeat of the tune
Alternate (folk-waltz arpeggio pattern):
Bass ↓ – Strum ↓↑ – Bass ↓ – Strum ↑↓↑
Use thumb for bass note (E/A/D), fingers for treble strum.
🎶 3. FINGERSTYLE GUITAR TAB
(First verse only — suitable as intro + verse)
Right-hand pattern (per bar):
Bass → G → B → high E → B → G
Thumb = E/A/D strings
Index = G string
Middle = B string
Ring = high E string
Lyrics:
You [Em]may sing and [D]speak about [C]Easter [Am]Week
And the [Bm]heroes of [C]Ninety [Em]Eight.
Of [Em]Fenian [G]Men who roamed the [Bm]glen
In [Am]victory, [C]or de[D]feat.
Their [Em]names on [G]history’s [Bm]pages told,
Their [Am]memories [C]will en[B7]dure,
But no [Em]song was [D]sung of our [C]darling sons,
In the [Bm]Valley of [Am]Knocka[Em]nure.
Em
e|--------0-------------0-------------|
B|------0---0---------0---0-----------|
G|----0-------0-----0-------0---------|
D|--2-----------2---------------------|
A|2-----------------2-----------------|
E|0-----------------------------------|
D
e|--------2-------------2-------------|
B|------3---3---------3---3-----------|
G|----2-------2-----2-------2---------|
D|0-----------------0-----------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|
C
e|--------0-------------0-------------|
B|------1---1---------1---1-----------|
G|----0-------0-----0-------0---------|
D|--2-----------2---------------------|
A|3-----------------3-----------------|
E|------------------------------------|
Am
e|--------0-------------0-------------|
B|------1---1---------1---1-----------|
G|----2-------2-----2-------2---------|
D|--2-----------2---------------------|
A|0-----------------0-----------------|
E|------------------------------------|
Bm
e|--------2-------------2-------------|
B|------3---3---------3---3-----------|
G|----4-------4-----4-------4---------|
D|--4-----------4---------------------|
A|2-----------------2-----------------|
E|------------------------------------|
B7
e|--------2-------------2-------------|
B|------0---0---------0---0-----------|
G|----2-------2-----2-------2---------|
D|--1-----------1---------------------|
A|2-----------------2-----------------|
E|------------------------------------|
💡 Playing Tips
Keep a gentle pulse — this is a lament, not a march.
On words like “Knockanure,” let the chord ring for a few beats.
If singing, fingerpick the verses softly and switch to light strumming on emotional peaks.
To emulate a traditional Irish modal sound, let your high E and B strings ring open throughout — they create that haunting brightness.
Below you’ll find:
✅ Full chords for all verses
✅ A fitting strumming pattern (slow 3/4 waltz)
✅ A fingerstyle guitar tab for the first verse + chorus refrain
🎵 1. Full Song with Chords (in E Minor)
[Verse 1]
You [Em]may sing and [D]speak about [C]Easter [Am]Week
And the [Bm]heroes of [C]Ninety [Em]Eight,
Of [Em]Fenian [G]Men who roamed the [Bm]glen
In [Am]victory, [C]or de[D]feat.
Their [Em]names on [G]history's [Bm]pages told,
Their [Am]memories [C]will en[B7]dure,
But no [Em]song was [D]sung of our [C]darling sons,
In the [Bm]Valley of [Am]Knocka[Em]nure.
[Verse 2]
There was [Em]Lyons and [D]Walsh and the [C]Dalton [Am]boy,
They were [Bm]young and in [C]their prime.
They [Em]rambled [G]to a lonely [Bm]spot
Where the [Am]Black and [C]Tans did [D]hide.
The [Em]Republic [G]bold they [Bm]did uphold,
Tho’ [Am]outlawed [C]on the [B7]moor,
And [Em]side by [D]side they [C]fought and died,
In the [Bm]Valley of [Am]Knocka[Em]nure.
[Verse 3]
It was [Em]on a [D]neighboring [C]hillside,
We [Am]listened in [Bm]hushed dis[C]may.
In [Em]every [G]house, in [Bm]every town,
A [Am]young girl [C]knelt to [D]pray.
They’re [Em]closing [G]in around them [Bm]now,
With [Am]rifle [C]fire so [B7]sure,
And [Em]Lyons is [D]dead, and [C]young Dalton’s down,
In the [Bm]Valley of [Am]Knocka[Em]nure.
[Verse 4]
But [Em]ere the [D]guns could [C]seal his [Am]fate,
Young [Bm]Walsh had [C]spoken [Em]through,
With a [Em]prayer to [G]God he spurned the [Bm]sod,
As a[Am]gainst the [C]hill he [D]flew.
The [Em]bullets [G]tore his [Bm]flesh in two,
Yet he [Am]cried with [C]voice so [B7]sure,
“Re[Em]venge I’ll [D]get for my [C]comrade’s death,
In the [Bm]Valley of [Am]Knocka[Em]nure.”
[Verse 5]
The [Em]summer [D]sun is [C]sinking [Am]low,
Be[Bm]hind the [C]field and [Em]lea,
The [Em]pale moon[G]light is [Bm]shining bright,
Far [Am]off be[C]yond Tra[D]lee.
The [Em]dismal [G]stars and [Bm]clouds afar,
Are [Am]dark’ning [C]o’er the [B7]moor,
And the [Em]banshee [D]cried when [C]young Dalton died,
In the [Bm]Valley of [Am]Knocka[Em]nure.
🎸 2. STRUMMING PATTERN
Time Signature: 3/4 (slow waltz time)
Tempo: 70–75 BPM (slow and solemn)
➤ Pattern:
↓ ↓↑ ↑↓↑
Count: 1 2–3 4–5–6
Beat 1: gentle bass-focused downstroke
Beats 2–6: light, smooth strums across treble strings
Keep motion continuous, like the roll of a lament or heartbeat of the tune
Alternate (folk-waltz arpeggio pattern):
Bass ↓ – Strum ↓↑ – Bass ↓ – Strum ↑↓↑
Use thumb for bass note (E/A/D), fingers for treble strum.
🎶 3. FINGERSTYLE GUITAR TAB
(First verse only — suitable as intro + verse)
Right-hand pattern (per bar):
Bass → G → B → high E → B → G
Thumb = E/A/D strings
Index = G string
Middle = B string
Ring = high E string
Lyrics:
You [Em]may sing and [D]speak about [C]Easter [Am]Week
And the [Bm]heroes of [C]Ninety [Em]Eight.
Of [Em]Fenian [G]Men who roamed the [Bm]glen
In [Am]victory, [C]or de[D]feat.
Their [Em]names on [G]history’s [Bm]pages told,
Their [Am]memories [C]will en[B7]dure,
But no [Em]song was [D]sung of our [C]darling sons,
In the [Bm]Valley of [Am]Knocka[Em]nure.
Em
e|--------0-------------0-------------|
B|------0---0---------0---0-----------|
G|----0-------0-----0-------0---------|
D|--2-----------2---------------------|
A|2-----------------2-----------------|
E|0-----------------------------------|
D
e|--------2-------------2-------------|
B|------3---3---------3---3-----------|
G|----2-------2-----2-------2---------|
D|0-----------------0-----------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|
C
e|--------0-------------0-------------|
B|------1---1---------1---1-----------|
G|----0-------0-----0-------0---------|
D|--2-----------2---------------------|
A|3-----------------3-----------------|
E|------------------------------------|
Am
e|--------0-------------0-------------|
B|------1---1---------1---1-----------|
G|----2-------2-----2-------2---------|
D|--2-----------2---------------------|
A|0-----------------0-----------------|
E|------------------------------------|
Bm
e|--------2-------------2-------------|
B|------3---3---------3---3-----------|
G|----4-------4-----4-------4---------|
D|--4-----------4---------------------|
A|2-----------------2-----------------|
E|------------------------------------|
B7
e|--------2-------------2-------------|
B|------0---0---------0---0-----------|
G|----2-------2-----2-------2---------|
D|--1-----------1---------------------|
A|2-----------------2-----------------|
E|------------------------------------|
💡 Playing Tips
Keep a gentle pulse — this is a lament, not a march.
On words like “Knockanure,” let the chord ring for a few beats.
If singing, fingerpick the verses softly and switch to light strumming on emotional peaks.
To emulate a traditional Irish modal sound, let your high E and B strings ring open throughout — they create that haunting brightness.
The valley of Knocknanure piano keyboard letter notes below are a little bit different in key than the above whistle tab.
The valley of Knocknanure piano keyboard letter notes
