The Vow of Tipperary | Irish Rebel Song & Ballad

The Vow of Tipperary — A Defiant Ballad of Ireland’s Rebel Heart

The Vow of Tipperary is one of the great rebel anthems of 19th-century Ireland — a proud declaration of independence born from betrayal and courage. Its verses call out from Carrick streets to the Shannon shore, summoning the sons of Tipperary to stand as one and cast off the yoke of empire.

The song opens as a rallying cry that sweeps across the Irish landscape — from Slievenamon to Galtymore, from Longford Pass to Ballindeary — every mountain and field answering the call. It unites a people long divided by poverty and politics beneath one simple, sacred promise: “Never to list in British ranks.”

In just a few verses, the ballad captures centuries of struggle. Ireland’s young men had fought in Britain’s wars — on European battlefields and distant colonies — shedding their blood for a crown that rewarded them only with tyrant laws and eviction from their own homes. When they returned to Tipperary, they found hunger and heartbreak instead of honour.

And so they swore — by God and the Virgin Mary — that never again would they fight for their oppressor. That oath became The Vow of Tipperary, a pledge of dignity and defiance that still echoes through Irish music and memory.

Though written in another century, the song remains startlingly alive. Its melody carries both grief and pride — a people weary of servitude but unbroken in spirit. When sung today, it reminds us that Ireland’s freedom was not just won by arms, but by conviction — by those who refused to serve tyranny, even when silence would have been safer.

The vow still stands: the heart of Tipperary beats for Ireland alone.





LYRICS

From Carrick streets to Shannon shore,
From Slievenamon to Ballindeary,
From Longford-pass to Galtymore--
Come hear The Vow of Tipperary.
 {verse 2]
"Too long we fought for Britain's cause,
And of our blood were never chary;
She paid us back with tyrant laws,
And thinned The Homes of Tipperary.
 [verse 3]
"But never more we'll win such thanks--
We swear by God and Virgin Mary,
Never to list in British ranks;"
And that's The Vow of Tipperary.
[Musical Interlude]
[Verse 4]
"But never more we'll win such thanks--

We swear by God and Virgin Mary,
Never to list in British ranks;"
And that's The Vow of Tipperary.

Location: Tipperary, Ireland

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