The Boys of Barr na Sraide. Danu

---

County Kerry's Cahersiveen, on the Iveragh Peninsula, rises from the River Ferta up the slopes of Beenatee, a hill about the height of New York's Empire State Building. The hill overlooks the Atlantic from a distance of about 10 miles.

---

[Danu's slightly modified lyrics, as slightly edited by YT.]

Oh the town it climbs the mountain and looks down on the sea,
In sleeping time or waking ‘tis there I long to be,
To walk again those kindly streets, the place my life began,
And the boys of Barr na Sráide went hunting for the wren.

With cudgels stout we roamed about to hunt the droleen [dreoilín].
We searched for birds in every furze from Litir [Letter] to Dooneen.
We danced for joy beneath the sky; life held no print or plan
For the boys of Barr na Sráide went hunting for the wren.

And when the hills were bleeding and the rifles they were aflame
To the rebel homes of Kerry the Saxon stranger came
But the ones who fought the Auxies and who beat the Black and Tan
Were the boys in Barr na Sráide who hunted for the wren.

BRIDGE
So here’s a health to them tonight, those lads who laughed with me
By the groves of Caragh [Cara] River or the slopes of Beenatee
John Dawley and Batt Andy and the Sheehans Con and Dan
Were the boys of Barr na Sráide who hunted for the wren.

But now they toil on foreign soil and they have gone their way
Deep in the heart of London or over in Broadway
When [And] I am left to sing their deeds and to praise them while I can,
to the boys [those boys] of Barr na Sráide who hunted for the wren

And when the wheel of life runs down and peace comes over me
Oh lay me down in that old town between the hills and sea
I’ll take my sleep in those green fields the place my life began
And the boys of Barr na Sráide went hunting for the wren.

OUTRO

---

"Barr na Sráide" (Top Street or High Street) runs horizontally along Beenatee's slope through Cahersiveen, after which the route's name changes to "Old Road." The song pictures an ideal path for fun-loving boys. The song by the poet Sigerson Clifford relates the local St. Stephen's Day tradition of hunting wrens (dreoilíns) to the Irish War of Independence. The boys in the poem refer to an extended group of rural youths living in Kerry and Limerick counties, who a few years later fought to drive the British from Ireland.

---

Correct Lyrics of "The Boys of Barr na Sráide"
by Sigerson Clifford

Oh the town it climbs the mountain and looks out upon the sea
And sleeping time or waking, ‘tis there I long to be
To walk again that kindly street, the place where life began
And the Boys of Barr na Sráide went hunting for the Wran.

With cudgels stout we roamed about to hunt the Droilín
We searched for birds in every furze from Letter to Dooneen
We sang for joy beneath the sky, life held no print or plan
And we Boys of Barr na Sráide, a-hunting for the Wran.

And when the hills were bleeding and the rifles were aflame
To the Rebel homes of Kerry, the Saxon stranger came
But the men who dared the Auxies and who beat the Black and Tan
Were the Boys of Barr na Sráide, a-hunting for the Wran.

And here’s a toast to them tonight, the lads who laughed with me
By the Groves of Carhan River or the slopes of Beenatee
John Dawley and Batt Andy, and the Sheehans Con and Dan
And the Boys of Barr na Sráide who hunted for the Wran.

And now they toil on foreign soil, where they have gone their way
Deep in the heart of London town or over in Broadway
And I am left to sing their deeds and praise them while I can
Those Boys of Barr na Sráide who hunted for the Wran.

And when the wheel of life runs down and peace comes over me
O lay me down in that old town between the hills and sea
I’ll take my sleep in those green fields the place my life began
Where the Boys of Barr na Sráide went hunting for the Wran.

---

Local dialect evidently renders Caragh as Caran.