Viva la Quinta Brigada

Ten years before I saw the light of morning
A comradeship of heroes was laid
From every corner of the world came sailing
The Fifth International Brigade.
They came to stand beside the Spanish people
To try and stem the rising fascist tide
Franco’s allies were the powerful and the wealthy
Frank Ryan’s men came from an other side.
Even the olives were bleeding
As the battle for Madrid it thundered on Truth and love against the force of evil
Brotherhood against the fascist clan.
Viva La Quinta Brigada,
No Pasaran, the pledge that made them fight
Adelante was the cry around the hillside
Let us all remember them tonight.
Many Irishmen heard the call of Franco
Joined Hitler and Mussolini too
Propaganda from the pulpit and newspapers
Helped O’Duffy to enlist his crew.
The word came from Maynooth, «support the Nazis»
The men of cloth failed again
The Bishops blessed the Blueshirts in Dun Laoghaire
As they sailed beneath the swastika to Spain.
Viva La Quinta Brigada
No Pasaran, the pledge that made them fight
Adelante was the cry around the hillside
Let us all remember them tonight.
Bob Hilliard was a Church of Ireland pastor
Form Killarney across the Pyrenees he came
From Derry came a brave young Christian Brother
(For) side by side they fought and died in Spain.
This song is a tribute to Frank Ryan
Kit Conway and Dinny Coady too
Peter Daly, Charlie Regan and Hugh Bonar
Though many died I can but name a few.
Viva La Quinta Brigada No Pasaran, the pledge that made them fight
Adelante was the cry around the hillside
Let us all remember them tonight.
Danny Boyle, Blaser Brown, Charlie Donnelly
Liam Tumilson, Jim Straney, Jack Nalty Tommy Patton, Frank Conroy
Jim Foley, Tony Fox, Dick O’Neill, and more, more…