Viva la Quinta Brigada lyrics

Ten years before I saw the light of morning

A comradeship of heroes was laid

From every corner of the world came sailing

The Fifth International Brigade

They came to stand beside the Spanish people

To try and stem the rising fascist tide

Franco's allies were the powerful and wealthy

Frank Ryan's men came from the other side

Even the olives were bleeding

As the battle for Madrid it thundered on

Truth and love against the force of evil

Brotherhood against the fascist clan

Viva la Quinta Brigada

"No Pasaran", the pledge that made them fight

"Adelante" is the cry around the hillside

Let us all remember them tonight

Bob Hilliard was a Church of Ireland pastor

From Killarney across the Pyrenees he came

From Derry came a brave young Christian Brother

Side by side they fought and died in Spain

Tommy Wood aged seventeen died in Cordoba

With Na Fianna he learned to hold his gun

From Dublin to the Villa del Rio

Where he fought and died beneath the blazing sun

Viva la Quinta Brigada

"No Pasaran", the pledge that made them fight

"Adelante" is the cry around the hillside

Let us all remember them tonight

Many Irishmen heard the call of Franco

Joined Hitler and Mussolini too

Propaganda from the pulpit and newspapers

Helped O'Duffy to enlist his crew

The word came from Maynooth, "support the Nazis"

The men of cloth failed again

When the Bishops blessed the Blueshirts in Dun Laoghaire

As they sailed beneath the swastika to Spain

Viva la Quinta Brigada

"No Pasaran", the pledge that made them fight

"Adelante" is the cry around the hillside

Let us all remember them tonight

This song is a tribute to Frank Ryan

Kit Conway and Dinny Coady too

Peter Daly, Charlie Regan and Hugh Bonar

Though many died I can but name a few

Danny Boyle, Blaser-Brown and Charlie Donnelly

Liam Tumilson and Jim Straney from the Falls

Jack Nalty, Tommy Patton and Frank Conroy

Jim Foley, Tony Fox and Dick O'Neill

Viva la Quinta Brigada

"No Pasaran", the pledge that made them fight

"Adelante" is the cry around the hillside

Let us all remember them tonight