Weekly Trinity journal., 1863-06-27
Shamus O'Brien.

All ! thin was hard times Tor an honest gossoon
Where you miss ID with the judg, you'd meet dragoon
And VIII 'ther the judges or soldiers Civ sentence,
The divil of small tim, was left for repenta 'co
It's mIny u hne boy that was then in ms kvepin,
With sun al chance Tor atia or restn or Sleepn,
Because they loved ireland, and scorned for to sell it,
The prey of the bloodhound, the mark for tht bullet,
| unsheltered by night and unrest'd by day,
The heath for their barracks, revenge for their pay
| But the bravest and hardest boy of them all,
/ Was Shamus 0 Brien, from thu town of Gl 'aCall
| His form was well sst but his body was Light,
Au' the kecnfAng I'd hnuad had not eth hIf white
But his face was as pal, as the tace of tbs dead
And his ch ek bushed with the aush Of the red
But for all that, he wasn't ugly young by,
For the dtv himself couldn't blaz with his eye,
So drol and So wicked, SO dark and SO bright
Like fire flash that crosses the brow of tn night,
And ho was the bast mower that ever has been,
And the ileg lntest hurIer that liver was seen,
In fencin' he Civ Tim Mooney the cut,
Aud in jumpn' he blte McVany a lut,
And his danen was sich, that the men used to stare
And the women turn crazy h done 1t So square,
For be gorra thS whole world gave IT IN To him there.
II, was the boy that was hard to be caught
lts often he run, and it's often he fought,
Aud many tim, rem 9mb,r right wsl
or the square things he done, aud often heard tell
How h. ireckenod tho mlgis' rates in Caheroaly,
Aud escaped through th' sejsrs in Aherio1 valley,
Ani lathcred the yeom N, himself agln four,
And stretched the two strongest on oull Baltimore
But the fox sleep sometimes the wild deer must rest
Aud treachary will prey ON thd blood of the best.
After mny brave action of power and pttle,
And million brave deeds the mountalns BLEAK side,
Ten thousand great dangers, and tolls past,
In the darkness OF night he taken at last.
Now, Shamus, look back on the beautiful moon,
For the door of the prison will close on you soon,
And take one long look at her dim, lovely light,
That falls On the mountain and valley tonight,
Farewell to tho mountain farewell to the hood
Farewell to the cot in tho Jar sheteriug wood
Farewell to the forest, farewell to the hill,
Farewell TO the friends who will think you still,
Farewell to tho potheen, the hurdlin and wake,
Aud farewell 10 the girl who would dis for your sake,
Twelve sojers they took him to Maryboro Jail
And tho turnk y reSavsd him, refusin' all bail
Ih1 he limbs wore chained, and the strong arms were
bound,
i
Will. happy remembrance cam, over him there,
AS gentle and soft AS tho SUNNI ,rs swe,t air.
Bcngn' fresh TO his heart 1rry days long gone by
Til tbs tears gathered heavy aul thick in his eye.
But the tears would not fall for tn, pride ut his heart
Would not suffer drop dOwl his pale cheek to start,
AMI lie sprang to hs feet in ths dark prison cave,
Aud h. swore by the strength that his misery gave,
BY his hopes OF the good AMI his lows Tor the brave,
That his enemies never should have 1t to boast
rhat his scorn for their veng ,ance ever was lost.
HIS bosom might bleed, but MS check should be dry,
For undLunteI he'd lived and undlunt3d he'd die.
At list the terrible day of the trial cam, on
There was such diy Of crowd there was scarce room
to st1nl,
The lawyers Civ over because they were bothered
Aud the jury iarn' b,clusl they smoherei
Now slenca was called, aud the minute twas said,
The room was as sti as the home of the dead,
ihey heard but the op1nn' OF the big prison lock-
Aud Shanus OBr3u M into tho dock
For NOM mt he turned his eye round the throng,
Aud he look \ at h3 prison bolts so great and strong,
=, = -, 4, "~% 90 tnai H. had not bop, or friend,
And h1 folded his Hruis, he stoUu uIrte alone,
As cold and us mute as statue of stone,
a
But Shamus dIdu't hear 1t or mind it TASTE
Ana the judge took big pinch Of "ngt, an he says
Til IN all h1id their breath in the silence Of droud,
When Shamus o Br3n mIdJ answer and said
My lord, IL you should ask me, If In my iii, time
have known any treason, or thought any crime
That should call TO my cheek, as stand alone here
Ihe hot blush of sham, or the coldness of fear,
Though stood by grave, TO receive the death blow,
Bilore God aud inc wOrll would answer you, No
Bat If you shouid ask me, | think il is like,
Ii in this rebellion have carried pike,
And fought for oull Ireland from the first to the close,
Aud shed th1 hearts blooi of her btterest foes,
| answer you Yes, and tell you again,
Though staud here to perish, twas my glory that then
Ia her cause WAS wiin' my veins should run dry,
And now for her sake AIN wllin to die"
When shamus was over the jury smiled bright
All it's him the ould uncommon grabbed oud chap,
In an instant he pulled on his dirty black cap
Ihsn shamus' mother IN The crowd standn' by
Called out to tue judge, with pititul cry,
Now Judge, darlin', dont oh don't spakc the word,
The erayture was young have mercy my lord"
That the first time that oBren was shaken,
Whsn h. saw that he not quite forget orsakcn
AMI down his pa5 cheek at tho words Of his MOTHER
IN, The hot tears y1re runnin one fast after other,
Two or three times be endeavorsd to spake,
But the strong manly volc1 would falter and break
Til at last by the strength Of his high mounting prde
IL. conquered and mastered his ri,rs swaliu' tile
And says he, Mother darln break your poor heart
For sooner later ths dearest part
God knows II Is bstt1r than wand iru' In fear
0n tho bleak, trlcklsss mountain among the red deer
To lie IN the grave, where the head heart and breast
From thought Labor ami sorrow forever shall rest.
Then, mother, my darlin', don't cry any more.
Don't Let ms seem broken in this my last hour,
For would not when my head is lying under the raven,
thrue man could say that died like craven"
Towards the judge he bent down his head,
Aud that minute the solemn death sentence said.
The morning was clear, the msts rose on high
The lark whlstlcd merrily in the clear sky,
But why do the crowd stand idl3 so later
And why do the people gather fast in the street
What come they to talk or what come thsy to see
Aud why does tbs long hang from the treeP
on, shamus OBrien, pray fervent and fast,
May the saints take your soul for this day is your last
Pray fast and pray strong for the nom ut is nigh,
When, sIrong proud and great as you are, you must die
Now faster and faster the crowd gathered there,
Boys, horses and gingerbread just like fair,
And whisky was s'in', and cuss'amuck too,
Aud ould Tn,n aud young women enJoyin' the view
Father Mulrooney he made the rem1rk,
That such time since the days Of The Ark
Aud bagorra it was hrge for him. for the dvil such
scourge,
sush aud crowds since the deuge
At last they threw open the big prison gate,
And outcaInJ the Sheriff and soldiers in state,
With a cart in the middle aud Shamus WAS in 1t,
Not palsr, but prouier than ever that minute,
Now when all the people saw Shalnus U Brlen,
With praym, aud blessn', and all the girls cryn,
A wild, wailu' sound came on by degrees, -
Like the sound of the lon wind bowin through trees
0l, the scaliOll the sheriff has gone,
The cart and the soldiers move steadily on,
Now under the gallows the cart takes Its stanu,
And tho hangmAn gets up, with til. np' IN ns naha'
All things b3ing ready, his neck was made bare,
For the gripo OF the its-strapging cord To prepare
The good priest has blessed him. and gone down on the
ground,
But good priest done more his hands he unbound
And with daring spring Shamus eaped 10 tue gfeuhd
Bang bangl go the carbines and clash go the saores
IS down he's alive stl stand TO MIN neighnors,
Through the smoke and the horses he's into the crowd
BY heavens he's free Than thunder more loud,
0ne shout, thai the heavens above were shaken,
Ons shout that the dead Of the earth might awaken,
The soldiers ran this way aud the Sheriff ran that,
And Father Mulrooney he lost his new nat
Tonight he'll sleep in Aherloe glen,
And the divis in the dice II you catch him again.
The Sheriff and the soiers were punished severely,
An nped ike the dyii, for Jim did them fairly.
his a
A sharp Yankee vessel sailed out Of the shannon,
The captain left word he going 10 Cork,
But the dvil bit did he IT, he was bound to New
York.
That very night she land
That some thought she would strike Baltimore strand
But before the day break, like a winged SEA NEW,
AS swift and as Qset, TO the westward she few
Bad luck - said the police 'Gbad luck +" said the soers
We thought that we had him, but Jim dodger."