Sean South (song)
“Sean South” is a song about Seán South, a member of the Pearse Column of the Irish Republican Army, who was fatally wounded during the attack on Brookeborough barracks in 1957. It is sung to the same tune as “Roddy McCorley".[1] The words were first published in the Irish Catholic, the Irish weekly Roman Catholic newspaper, within a week of South's death.[2]
Contrary to popular belief, South was not actually from the area of Garryowen, this being poetic licence on the part of the writer. The song was written almost directly following the incident by Seamas O' Dufaigh (Duffy), of Aghamore, Co. Mayo. Seamus was interviewed on the TG4 Gaelic language program "Comhra," on 13 February 2008. The song was translated into Swedish in 2008 by musicians Björn Alling and Conny Olsson. It has also been satirised in the Rubber Bandits rap song, "Up the Ra".
References
- Bell, J. Bowyer (1997). The Secret Army: the IRA. Transaction Publishers. ISBN 1-56000-901-2.