O'Duffy's Ironsides

The tune used here is called, "The Valley of Knockanure". This version of the song comes from an oral translation of the tune from Diaramuid Fitzpatrick (a communist opponent of O'Duffy's) to Brendan Behan. Behan used the song in his play, "Richard's Cork Leg". During the play was the first time Ronnie had ever performed the song, and perhaps the second to be known was recorded for, "Guaranteed Dubliner".

The song is a satire, and should not be taken as any sort of praise to O'Duffy. A similar tune, with a similar air is "Slattery's Mounted Foot" .

A bit on Eoin O'Duffy:

In 1917 O'Duffy joined the Irish Republican Army and took an active part in the War of Independence. In February 1920, he (along with Ernie O'Malley) was involved in the first capture of a Royal Irish Constabulary barracks by the IRA in Ballytrain, in his native Monaghan. He was imprisoned several times but became director of the army in 1921. In May 1921, he was returned as a Sinn Féin TD for the Monaghan constituency to the Second Dáil.

Eoin O'Duffy was, in succession a Teachta Dála (TD), the Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army, the second Commissioner of the Garda Síochána, leader of the Army Comrades Association and then the first leader of Fine Gael (1933--34), before leading the Irish Brigade to fight for Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. He once proclaimed himself the "third most important man in Europe" after Adolf Hitler and fellow fascist Benito Mussolini.

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[mlovecraftr]

This is a interesting piece of history, how many different ideologies can converge in a nationalist revolution or independist struggle. The Wind that Shakes the Barley is very good showing the struggle from the left and far left factions of the IRA.