The Wearing Of The Green — A Powerful Irish Rebel Ballad

The Wearing Of The Green | Powerful Irish Rebel Song (They’re Hanging Men & Women)

The Wearing Of The Green — A Powerful Irish Rebel Ballad



“The Wearing of the Green” is one of Ireland’s most enduring rebel ballads — a powerful anthem of resilience and resistance that has echoed through generations of Irish hearts. Born in the dark days of the 1798 Rebellion, when the United Irishmen rose against British rule, the song became a symbol of defiance, unity, and national pride.

At its core, the ballad laments the brutal suppression of Irish identity. Wearing a simple green ribbon — the color long associated with Irish nationalism — became a punishable act. The lyrics speak of arrests, executions, and forced exile for those who dared to display their loyalty to Ireland. The song’s central figure is often portrayed as a young Irishman being led to execution for the crime of wearing green — his only offence being pride in his heritage.

Yet, amidst the sorrow, the message is clear: the spirit of Ireland cannot be crushed. “The Wearing of the Green” became a quiet rebellion in itself — sung in homes, whispered in streets, and carried by emigrants across the world. From New York to Melbourne, it became a rallying cry for the Irish diaspora, a reminder of home and the cause they left behind.

This version of the song remains true to its roots, telling the story of oppression, martyrdom, and the unbroken will of a people who refused to abandon their culture. With a haunting melody and heartfelt delivery, it honours not just those who died for Ireland, but those who carried its memory across oceans and borders.

To this day, “The Wearing of the Green” is more than a song — it’s a statement. A quiet act of remembrance. And a vow that Ireland’s voice will never be silenced.

▶️ Listen & Watch

🌍 Why It Still Matters

Wearing green — even a shamrock — once carried risk. The song remembers those who paid the ultimate price and honours families who carried Ireland in their hearts across the Atlantic. For generations of Irish and Irish-descended listeners in Boston, New York, Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver, London, Sydney and Auckland, this melody is more than tradition — it’s memory, pride, and belonging.

📝 Song Notes

  • Traditional Irish ballad, arranged in a modern folk style.
  • Instrumentation: vocals, fiddle, bodhrán, guitar (trad ensemble feel).
  • Theme: remembrance, courage, and cultural identity.

💬 Join the Conversation

Where are you listening from — the U.S., Canada, the UK, Australia or New Zealand? Share your family’s connection to this song in the comments and add it to your Irish playlists.

Hashtags: #IrishMusic #RebelSong #IrishBallad #TheWearingOfTheGreen #IrishHistory #CelticMusic #IrishRebel #Ballad #IrishFolk #freedomlifestyle


Lyrics 

Oh Paddy, dear, and did you hear the

News that's going round?

The shamrock is by law forbid

To grow on Irish ground

Saint Patrick's Day no more we'll keep

His colours can't be seen

For they're hanging men and women for

The wearing of the green

I met with Napper Tandy and he

Took me by the hand

He said "How's dear old Ireland

And how does she stand?"

She's the most distressful country that

You have ever seen

For they're hanging men and women for

The wearing of the green

For the wearing of the green

For the wearing of the green

They're hanging men and women for

The wearing of the green

[2]

Then since the color we must

Wear is England's cruel red

Sure, Ireland's sons will ne'er forget the

Blood that they have shed

You may take the shamrock from your hat

And cast it on the sod

But 'twill take root and flourish

Still tho' underfoot 'tis trod

My father loved his country and

Sleeps within it's breast

While I that would have died for

Her must never so be blessed

Those tears my mother shed for me

How bitter they had been

If I had proved a traitor to

The wearing of the green

For the wearing of the green

For the wearing of the green

They're hanging men and women for

The wearing of the green

[3]

But if at last our colours should

Be torn from Ireland's heart

Her sons with shame and sorrow from

The dear old isle would part

I've heard a whisper of a land

That lies beyond the sea

Where rich and poor stand equal in

The light of freedom's day

Oh Ireland, must we leave you

Driven by a tyrant's hand

And seek a mother's blessing from

A strange and distant land

Where the cruel cross of England

Shall never more be seen

And in that land we'll live and die

For the wearing of the green

For the wearing of the green

For the wearing of the green

They're hanging men and women for

The wearing of the green

For the wearing of the green

For the wearing of the green

They're hanging men and women for

The wearing of the green



Location: Ireland

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