[Verse]
Oh, come all ye gallant Irishmen and a story I'll relate,
I'll tell to you of the Fenian men who from the foe escaped,
Though bound with Saxon chains in a dark Australian jail,
They struck a blow for freedom and for New York town set sail.
On the seventeenth of April in the year of '83,
The gallant bark Catalpa from Fremantle town did flee,
She showed the green above the red as she calmly made her way,
Prepared to take those Fenian men to safety o'er the sea.
[Chorus]
Here's to the ship Catalpa and the boys of Uncle Sam,
And to all the Irishmen afloat and the Fenians to a man,
Here's to Captain Anthony, bold Breslin and his crew,
When challenged by the Empire's might the stars and stripes she flew.
[Verse]
Then Breslin and brave Desmond and Catalpa, taut and trim,
When fast approaching them they saw a vision dark and dim,
It was the gun-boat Georgette, among their deck there stood,
One hundred hired assassins to shed the patriot blood.
My ship is sailing peacefully beneath the flag of stars,
It's manned by Irish hearts of oak and manly Yankee tars,
And that dear emblem to the fore, so plain for to be seen,
Tis the banner to protect in mine, old Ireland's flag of green
[Chorus]
Here's to the ship Catalpa and the boys of Uncle Sam,
And to all the Irishmen afloat and the Fenians to a man,
Here's to Captain Anthony, bold Breslin and his crew,
When challenged by the Empire's might the stars and stripes she flew.
[Verse]
One hundred years have passed and gone since the day in New York bay,
All sorts of floats and ships and boats were there, hip-hip-hooray,
They say the day three-thousand men about the rescue, knew,
Not a word was spoke and it was some joke on John Bull's navy, too.
Then here's to Captain Anthony who well these men did free,
He dared the English navy men to fight him on the sea,
To John Devoy, his name held high and all friends to be seen,
The flag for which our heroes fought was Ireland's flag of green.
[Chorus]
Here's to the ship Catalpa and the boys of Uncle Sam,
And to all the Irishmen afloat and the Fenians to a man,
Here's to Captain Anthony, bold Breslin and his crew,
When challenged by the Empire's might the stars and stripes she flew.
[Chorus]
Here's to the ship Catalpa and the boys of Uncle Sam,
And to all the Irishmen afloat and the Fenians to a man,
Here's to Captain Anthony, bold Breslin and his crew,
When challenged by the Empire's might the stars and stripes she flew.