The Column

Arise, arise, hear the call of the land
To arms, to arms, fight for the foreign threat
Blood, blood, spill our Irish blood
Honour, honour, for freedom we fight

With their knowledge of war and social ideals
They set sail for the chaos in Spain
A country divided by political strife
Devastated by political gain

The Irish Brigade were already there
And had far greater numbers than they
They fought for the church that was wholly corrupt
And supported the Catholic way

Arise, arise, hear the call of the land
To arms, to arms, fight for the foreign threat
Blood, blood, spill our Irish blood
Honour, honour, for freedom we fight

The column consisted of working men
Led by their leader Frank Ryan
A noble band of 80 souls
Faced the firing line

Countless died in the searing Spanish heat
At Jarama many Irish men fell
The Republican brothers were in retreat
The threat they could not quell