Sean South Lyrics
The Wolfe TonesMusic Video
Sean South
Sad are the homes 'round Garryowen
Since lost their giant pride
And the banshee cry links every vale
Along the Shannon side
That city of the ancient walls
Unbroken Treaty Stone, undying fame
Surrounds your name, Sean South of Garryowen
'Twas on a dreary New Year's Eve
As the shades of night came down
A lorry load of volunteers
Approached a border town
There were men from Dublin and from Cork
Fermanagh and Tyrone
And the leader was a Limerick man
Sean South from Garryowen
And as they moved along the street
Up to the barracks door
They scorned the danger they might face
Their fate that lay in store
They were fighting for old Ireland
To claim their very own
And the foremost of that gallant band
Was South from Garryowen
But the sergeant spied their daring plan
He spied them through the door
The Sten guns and the rifles
A hail of death did pour
And when that awful night was passed
Two men lay as cold as stone
There was one from near the border
And one from Garryowen
No more he will hear the seagull's cry
Over the murmuring Shannon tide
For he fell beneath a northern sky
Brave Hanlon by his side
They have gone to join that gallant band
Of Plunkett, Pearse and Tone
A martyr for Old Ireland
Sean South from Garryowen
Song Details
✍️ Lyricist: Seán Costello from County Limerick
📅 Date: 1957
🎶 Tune: same as another republican ballad called 'Roddy McCorley'
📝 Song Brief:
The song, often referred to as Sean South of Garryowen commemorates Sean South (1928-1957), an IRA volunteer from Limerick who was killed during a raid on an RUC/B Specials barracks in Brookeborough, County Fermanagh, on New Year’s Day 1957. The song portrays him as a martyr for Irish independence, placing him alongside earlier republican figures such as Plunkett, Pearse, and Tone. It also remembers Fergal O’Hanlon, who died beside him during the escape.
On New Year's Day 1957, 14 IRA volunteers crossed the border into County Fermanagh to launch an attack on a joint RUC/B Specials barracks in Brookeborough. During the attack a number of volunteers were injured, two fatally. Fergal O'Hanlon and Seán South died of their wounds as they were making their escape. They were carried into an old sandstone barn by their comrades which was later demolished by a British army jeep. The stone from the barn was used to build a memorial at the site.📖 Glossary:
- Garryowen — A historic neighbourhood in Limerick, Ireland, known for its strong cultural identity and for lending its name to the famous marching tune “Garryowen.”
- Treaty Stone — The stone on which the Treaty of Limerick was signed on 3 October 1691, ending the Williamite War in Ireland. The treaty concluded the Siege of Limerick and marked the defeat of the Jacobite forces by supporters of William of Orange.
- Sten guns — A family of British submachine guns widely used during World War II and into the mid‑20th century. They were inexpensive, compact, and easily recognisable by their simple metal construction.
- RUC/B — An abbreviation referring to the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the B Specials (Ulster Special Constabulary), the reserve auxiliary force that supported the RUC in Northern Ireland until 1970.
🍀 Genre: Irish Rebel Song, Irish ballad
👥 Covers: Shilelagh Law, Flying Column, Irish Rebels, The Freemen, Terry O' Neill, Green Velvet, The Barley Boys, The Irish Ramblers.
🎤 Featured Artists: The Wolfe Tones
💿 Album: Let The People Sing
Released: 1972
Country: Ireland
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Label: Dolphin Records
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