"The Valley of Knockanure" is a ballad commemorating an incident that occurred during the Irish War of Independence at Gortaglanna near Knockanure, County Kerry, Ireland. It was written by teacher and poet Bryan MacMahon at the request of a local schoolmaster, Pádraig Ó Ceallacháin. On 12 May 1921, a troop of Black and Tans were travelling out from Listowel when they arrested four young unarmed men in Gortaglanna. Prior to this the barracks in Listowel had been burnt out and the troops, heavy with drink and bent on revenge decided to execute the young men. The first to be shot was Jerry Lyons. When this happened, Cornelius Dee decided, as he was going to be shot anyway, to make a run for it. He did, and almost immediately took a bullet in the thigh but managed to keep going. He ran for about three miles and survived. He was never recaptured but remained in hiding until the Truce. The other two men were shot on the spot. Today a memorial stands by the roadside where the three died. I have changed the lyrics slightly to make it more historically accurate. Apparently this song is not advertiser friendly for some reason.
1 окт 2024
