It was on a dreary new years day when the shade of night came down
And a lorry load of volunteers approached the border town
There were men from dublin and from cork, fermanagh and tyrone
But the leader was a limerick man sean south of garryowen
And as they moved along the street up to the barracks door
They scorned the danger the would meet the fate that lay in store
They were fighting for old ireland to make their very own
And the foremost of this gallant band was south of garryowen
But the seargant spoiled their daring plans he spied them through the door
And with sten guns and with rifle a hail of death did pour
But before that awful night was past two men lay cold as stone
There was one from near the border and one from garryowen
No more he'll hear the seagull cry o'er the murmuring shannon tide
For he fell beneath a northern sky brave o'hanlon by his side
He has gone to join that gallant band of plunkett pearse and tone
Another martyr for old ireland sean south of garryowen.