The Boys Of Kilmichael chords by Traditional Irish

Chords with lyrics

There are many versions of this song, It is believed to have been written by a local school teacher
shortly after the incident. the lyrics I will use here are bits taken from a few versions
Most notably Jimmy Crowley's version (including the final verse as written by poet Patrick Galvin
at Jimmy's request as a swipe at those who seek to paint history differently)
Other version used; Wolfe Tones
second half of first verse came from memory, don't know if it is actual lyrics of any version
Also some lyrics fiddled with here and there
Chorus can be sung after first verse, I just felt it repetitive there.

Time signature is 3/4
Standard Tuning, no capo
Key of C majorC
pending on your vocals you may want to put capo on 2nd fret.

chords
C majorC x32010
G+G 320033
FF 133211
A minorAm x03320

progression

1st half of verse

C majorC C G+G A minorAm
C majorC A minorAm FF F
C majorC C G+G A minorAm
C majorC G+G C majorC C

2nd half of verse and chorus are same progression

C majorC G+G A minorAm Am
C majorC C A minorAm Am
C majorC C A minorAm FF
C majorC G+G C majorC C

3rd line C majorC C A minorAm FF could possibly be C majorC C FF F or C majorC G+G A minorAm F; haven't made up my mind yet

VERSE 1
     C majorC     C majorC      G+G   A minorAm   C majorC     A minorAm      FF  FF
When you honour in song and in sto-ry the memory of Pearse and Mc-Bride,
  C majorC        C majorC     G+G  A minorAm     C majorC        G+G       C majorC    C majorC
And all those brave heroes of Ire-land whose names have been crushed and de-cried
    C majorC      G+G      A minorAm Am      C majorC       C majorC      A minorAm     A minorAm
So For-get not the boys of Kil-mi-chael those true hearted brave vol-un-teers
  C majorC       C majorC     A minorAm FF       C majorC      G+G       C majorC   C majorC
Who fought for the glory of Ire-land, for the orange the white and the green


VERSE 2
    C majorC      C majorC     G+G   A minorAm    C majorC      A minorAm      FF   FF
On the twentieth  day of No-vem- ber, the day that the tans left Mac-room.
     C majorC     C majorC       G+G  A minorAm    C majorC       G+G         C majorC    C majorC
they were loaded in two crossley ten-ders not knowing that they'd meet their doom
  C majorC      G+G      A minorAm Am     C majorC     C majorC     A minorAm     A minorAm
But on the high road to Kil-mi-chael they suddnely  came to a stop
     C majorC      C majorC      A minorAm FF    C majorC      G+G      C majorC   C majorC
For they met with the boys of the col-umn Who made a clean sweep of the lot.

CHORUS
   C majorC        G+G      A minorAm Am      C majorC       C majorC      A minorAm     A minorAm
 So For-get not the boys of Kil-mi-chael those brave lads so gallant and true
  C majorC         C majorC      A minorAm FF    C majorC       G+G       C majorC   C majorC
Who fought 'neath the green flag of E-rin and conquered the red, white and blue.


VERSE 3
   C majorC     C majorC      G+G  A minorAm     C majorC    A minorAm      FF   FF
O the sun in the West it was sink-ing for the eve of a cold winters day,
     C majorC       C majorC         G+G   A minorAm     C majorC     G+G       C majorC    C majorC
When the Tans who were eagerly (sic: ap)'proch-ing sailed into the spot where we lay
   C majorC     G+G       A minorAm Am    C majorC      C majorC     A minorAm     A minorAm
Then over the hills went the e-cho the peal of the rifle and gun
    C majorC        C majorC       A minorAm FF       C majorC       G+G      C majorC   C majorC
And the flames from the lorries gave ti-dings that the boys from Kil-michael had won.


CHORUS
   C majorC        G+G      A minorAm Am      C majorC       C majorC      A minorAm     A minorAm
 So For-get not the boys of Kil-mi-chael those brave lads so gallant and true
  C majorC         C majorC      A minorAm FF    C majorC       G+G       C majorC   C majorC
Who fought 'neath the green flag of E-rin and conquered the red, white and blue.


VERSE 4
  C majorC       C majorC      G+G  A minorAm     C majorC     A minorAm     FF   FF
The lorries were out be-fore twi-light and high over Dunmaway  Town
  C majorC      C majorC         G+G  A minorAm     C majorC       G+G       C majorC    C majorC
Our banners in triumph they were wav-ing just to show that the Tans had gone down
   C majorC       G+G      A minorAm A minorAm       C majorC      C majorC     A minorAm     A minorAm
So we gathered our rifles and bay-onets and soon left to the hills so ob-scure,
    C majorC     C majorC       A minorAm FF     C majorC     G+G      C majorC   C majorC
And we never did drink till we hal-ted at the far a-way camp of Dun-ure.


CHORUS
   C majorC        G+G      A minorAm Am      C majorC       C majorC      A minorAm     A minorAm
 So For-get not the boys of Kil-mi-chael those brave lads so gallant and true
  C majorC         C majorC      A minorAm FF    C majorC       G+G       C majorC   C majorC
Who fought 'neath the green flag of E-rin and conquered the red, white and blue.


VERSE 5
    C majorC       C majorC      G+G  A minorAm   C majorC      A minorAm      FF   FF
There's some who will blush at the men-tion Of Connolly,  Pearse and Mc-Bride
  C majorC       C majorC       G+G A minorAm     C majorC     G+G     C majorC    C majorC
And hist'ry's new scribes in de-ri-sion; Their pages of valour de-ny
     C majorC       G+G        A minorAm  A minorAm    C majorC      C majorC       A minorAm     A minorAm
But shur here's to the boys who cried, Free-dom! When Ireland was nailed to the mast
     C majorC        C majorC       A minorAm FF   C majorC      G+G      C majorC   C majorC
And they fought with Tom Barry's bold col-umn To give us our freedom at last


Chorus
  C majorC       G+G      A minorAm Am      C majorC       C majorC      A minorAm     A minorAm
So here's to the boys of Kil-mi-chael those brave lads so gallant and true
  C majorC       C majorC       A minorAm FF    C majorC       G+G       C majorC   C majorC