Ten (C) years before I (G) saw the light of(C) morning A (C) comradeship of heroes (F) was laid. From (C) every corner of the world came (F) sailing The (G) Fifth (F) International (C) 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. (C) Viva La (F) Quinta Brigada! "No (F) Paseran" the (G) pledge that made them (C) fight. (C) "Adelante" was(C/B) the cry around the (Am) hillside. Let (F)us all (G) remember them (C) tonight. Bob Hillard 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 Woods, 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 Spanish sun. 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 Fascists.' The men of cloth failed yet again When the bishops blessed the blueshirts in Dun Laoghaire As they sailed beneath the swastika to Spain. 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 Doyle, Blaser-Brown and Charlie Donnelly. Liam Tumilson and Jim Straney from Short Strand. Jack Nally, Tommy Patton and Frank Conroy, Jim Foley, Tony Fox and Dick O'Neill.
This song was written by Christy Moore and performed
by a range of artists. It deals with the men who came
from all corners of the globe to fight against Franco in
the spanish civil war. The Catholic Church in Ireland
and Fine Gael encouraged men to fight on behalf of
Franco and many did, this song expresses disgust at
this and honours the men who faught in the 15th
international brigade.