Father Mcfadden Lyrics & Chords By Christy Moore

Come all ye Roman Catholics and pray you will be near,
And likewise pay attention and I'll not detain you long,
Concerning Father McFadden who lies in Lifford Jail,,
He was remanded there for trial, the judge could find no bail.

The day he was arrested was a Sunday after Mass,
It was Inspector Martin, the man who did arrest,
He caught the collar by the priest with a broadsword in his hand,
Says he, "Your are my prisoner, sir, and you must come along".

The congregation seen their priest arrested at the door,
And David being among the flock, he did one stone procure,
He stuck the stone into a sling and my the Lord's command,
He killed Inspector Martin on the ground where he did stand.

They put Martin on a stretcher and to barracks they did go,
To see them walkinng down the road, it was a lovely show,
The congregation booed at them, 'twas glorious for to tell,
And to see a sub-Inspector on a door going off to hell.

The Devil met them on the road, and he took him by the hand,
Says he, "Inspector Martin, I've been waiting for you long,
You being a worthy officer, and you've done your duty well,
And now I'm going to promote you to the burning pits of Hell".

Adieu to Ballyshannon, will I never see you more,
And many's the happy day I spent along Bundoran's shore,
To my wife and family, I said farewell,
And now I'm away and I'm bound to stay in the burning pits of hell.

Some paling (fence) posts were used by those who fought for liberty,
Their priest they swore for to defend from landlord tyranny,
No cowardly inspector would take their hero away,
Their 'star and light' they would protect until their dying day.

The people then proceeded for to knock the villain down,
His henchman flew before them like the hare flees from the hound,
The goodly priest called "Order", but alas, 'twas all in vain,
The Inspector lay there lifeless on the ground where he was slain.

The Devil met them on the road, Lord Leitrim by his side,
Says he, "Inspector Martin, we will have a merry ride,
The flames they won't agree with you, your head is very sore,
You'll curse the day you did stray to a place they call Gweedore".

I thought that I had the words somewhere, it just toook me a while to find them. The lyrics are reasonably historically accurate, except that Lord Leitrim (William Sydney Clements), a notorious Donegal landlord and all-round nasty type, was murdered in 1878 and the murder of Inspector Martin took place in 1889. Father McFadden was soon released but a number of men served prison sentences for their paart in the killing.