Song of The Volunteers of 1782

The Song of the Volunteers of 1782 celebrates a moment when the Irish people stood together in unity and strength, not as rebels against their own soil, but as free men demanding the rights of a nation long denied. It was the year when Ireland, weary of foreign control and unfair laws, found its courage through the ranks of citizen-soldiers known as the Irish Volunteers. These men were not professional troops nor rebels in hiding; they were farmers, merchants, tradesmen, and patriots who took up arms to defend their country while England’s army was distracted by war in America. The Volunteers began as a force to protect Irish shores from invasion, but their spirit quickly turned toward freedom. They saw that a people willing to defend their land should also govern it. Across Ulster, Leinster, Munster, and Connacht, the green and gold banners of the Volunteers rose over towns and fields, and Ireland for a brief and shining moment stood tall in the pride of self-respect. The song itself rings with that pride. It speaks of muskets polished bright, of men marching shoulder to shoulder, of bugles sounding not for conquest but for liberty. The year 1782 became a symbol of hope when Henry Grattan and the Irish Parliament declared legislative independence, an achievement born not of rebellion but of courage and unity. Though short-lived, the victory proved that Ireland could stand on her own feet and speak with her own voice. The Song of the Volunteers of 1782 keeps that moment alive, reminding every generation that freedom is not granted but claimed. It captures the heartbeat of a nation discovering itself, the dignity of men who fought not for glory but for the right to call their land their own. When sung today, it recalls that time when Ireland’s spirit blazed bright beneath the banners of volunteer regiments, a time when courage, brotherhood, and honour bound the island together as one people ready to rise. The song remains a salute to those who stood unbroken and proved that liberty, once awakened, can never again be silenced. hear more traditional Irish ballads on youtube.


LYRICS

Hurrah! 'tis done---our freedom's won---
Hurrah for the Volunteers!
No laws we own, but those alone
Of our Commons, King, and Peers.
II.
The chain is broke---the Saxon yoke
From off our neck is taken;
Ireland awoke---Dungannon spoke---
With fear was England shaken.
III.
When Grattan rose, none dar'd oppose
The claim he made for freedom;
They knew our swords, to back his words,
Were ready did he need them.
IV.
Then let us raise, to Grattan's praise,
A proud and joyous anthem;
And wealth, and grace, and length of days,
May God, in mercy grant him!
V.
Bless Harry Flood, who nobly stood
By us, through gloomy years!
Bless Charlemont, the brave and good,
The Chief of the Volunteers.
VI.
The North began; the North held on
The strife for native land;
Till Ireland rose, and cowed her foes---
God bless the Northern land!
VII.
And bless the men of patriot pen---
Swift Molyneux, and Lucas;
Bless sword and gun, which "Free Trade" won---
Bless God! who ne'er forsook us!
VIII.
And long may last, the friendship fast,
Which binds us all together;
While we agree, our foes shall flee
Like clouds in stormy weather.
IX.
Remember still, through good and ill,
How vain were prayers and tears---
How vain were words, till flashed the swords
Of the Irish Volunteers.
X.
By arms we've got the rights we sought
Through long and wretched years---
Hurrah! 'tis done, our Freedom's won---
Hurrah for the Volunteers!

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