The Traditional Ballad Index

An annotated source to folk song
from the English-speaking world

The Special Articles

The Traditional Ballad Index was originally designed as a bibliography of folk song -- and, of course, it still functions as such. But, from the start, we incorporated occasional notes on the background of songs -- their history, or the events they described, or links to other non-traditional literature.

Some of these articles have now grown so extensive that they deserve to be noted in their own right, rather than forcing people to find them hit-or-miss. This document constitutes a catalog of the more substantial articles found in the Ballad Index notes.

Needless to say, you are invited to submit your own material for inclusion in the notes to some songs. You won't get academic credit, and we don't promise to include it -- but we might.

The list below tries to organize the information so as to be relatively easy to find. For these purposes, I've tried to organize the information into "cycles" or groups of related topics -- e.g. the American Civil War, the history of Irish rebellion, the exploration of the Arctic. In some cases, the result is literally a cycle -- the articles, if read in sequence, will tell a full history of a particular topic.

Each cycle is arranged as a table with a header referring to the general topic. The table itself contains four parts: The approximate dates of the events described, a brief summary of what is discussed, the name of the song under which the entry can be found, and the initials of the primary contributor(s) of the entry.

Note that a special article may apply to several songs -- an obvious example being the historical article on the Titanic associated with The Titanic (XV) ("On the tenth day of April 1912") (Titanic #15). Although this article is filed with this particular song, it in fact includes historical notes on every Titanic song in the Index. Similarly, the Phoenix Park Murders in Ireland inspired about a dozen songs, but the notes are all contained in the note (and historical references) to The Phoenix Park Tragedy.

As a general rule, I have only listed songs where the notes total over 500 words. The songs where the notes total over 2000 words show the song names in emphasized type.

Conflicts over the British Succession (Prior to the Jacobite Rebellions)

Scottish History Cycle (excluding Jacobite songs)

Jacobite Songs and Songs about the Orange and Hannoverian Successions

The Irish Rebellion Cycle

Editor's Apology: A very large fraction of the songs in this section were first indexed due to their inclusion in Patrick Galvin's anthology of Irish freedom songs. Galvin's psychotic hatred of the British is so extreme that it inherently caused me to take a relatively pro-British view. I'm now trying to clean this out of the notes, trying to be as even-handed as possible. But it's a slow process, particularly since it's so hard to be absolutely objective about a conflict where one side bred mindless oppressors and the other side bred terrorists. Nonetheless, no nation has come closer to telling its history in song than has Ireland; this cycle of songs does an excellent job of relating the story of "the most distressful country."

Dates	Subject	Song	Author
1641- 1653	In the aftermath of the English Civil War, Oliver Cromwell takes fire and sword to Ireland, committing perhaps the worst single genocide between the Crusades and World War I	The Wexford Massacre	RBW
1649	Death of Owen Roe O'Neill, who had some success in fighting the English but whose behavior helped encourage Cromwell's atrocities	General Owen Roe	BS, RBW
1688- 1689	The siege of [London]derry ends James II's hopes of gaining easy control of Ireland in his quest to regain the British throne.	The Shutting of the Gates of Derry; also Derry Walls Away	BS, RBW
1690	In the wake of the Glorious Revolution, the deposed king James II tries to use Ireland to rebuild his fortunes, but is defeated by William III at the Battle of the Boyne.	The Battle of the Boyne (I)	BS, RBW
1782	Grattan's Parliament gives Ireland its greatest measure of independence prior to 1922. Sadly, it is too corrupt and feeble a legislature to last.	Ireland's Glory	BS, RBW
1795	The Battle of the Diamond highlights the tension between Catholics and Protestants in Ulster.	The Battle of the Diamond	BS, RBW
1795	Foundation of the Orange Order, devoted to maintaining as much power for Protestants as possible	The Grand Mystic Order	BS, RBW
1796	The French attempt to invade Ireland (to distract England), but the Bantry Bay expedition falls apart	The Shan Van Voght	BS, RBW
1798	The planning for the rebellion of 1798, which sowed the grounds for its failure.	The Wearing of the Green (I)	BS, RBW
1798	The planners of the 1798 rebellion are captured before they can even get the rebellion started. The one leader to remain at large is Edward Fitzgerald -- but he too is soon found and captured, dying of the wounds he suffered while resisting capture	Edward (III) (Edward Fitzgerald)	BS, RBW
1798	The massacre of Protestants at Scullabogue	Father Murphy (II) (The Wexford Men of '98)	BS, RBW
1798	After a promising start, the Wexford rebels turn victory into defeat at the Battle of New Ross	Kelly, the Boy from Killane	RBW
1798	Father John Murphy helps start the Wexford rising -- and is killed after its collapse	Father Murphy (I)	RBW
1798	A Wexford rebel honestly and brutally examines the reasons the rebellion failed	Sweet County Wexford	RBW
1798	The Sheares Brothers, among the most important of the Irish rebel leaders (though not very famous) are hanged for their part in the events of 1798. Also the career of the poem's authoress "Speranza."	The Brothers John and Henry Sheares	RBW
1798	The new viceroy Cornwallis tries to bring some degree of peace and justice after the 1798 rebellion -- though it is the Protestants who rejoice in the results	The Troubles	BS, RBW
1801	The Parliamentary Union of Britain and Ireland completely alters Irish politics -- and the economy	Dublin After the Union	BS, RBW
1801- c. 1852	A catalog of the troubles of post-Union Ireland, with a cynical view of the politicians responsible	The Wheels of the World	BS, RBW
1803	In the aftermath of the 1798 rebellion and the Act of Union, Robert Emmet tries to raise a rebellion. It fails pitifully, and Emmet is executed after making a stirring farewell speech	Bold Robert Emmet	RBW
1828	Daniel O'Connell, "The Liberator," runs for and is elected to Parliament. Eventually the parliamentary rules are changed, allowing men such as Fergus O'Connor to serve.	Fergus O'Connor and Independence	BS, RBW
1843	At the "Monster Meeting of Tara," tens of thousands of Irish turn out to campaign for repeal of the Union between Britain and Ireland.	The Meeting of Tara	BS, RBW
1845- 1848	The Irish Potato Famines cut the country's population in half and dramatically changes the political situation	Over There (I - The Praties They Grow Small)	RBW
1848	Nationalist John Mitchel, who claims his only crime is loving Ireland, is convicted and transported	John Mitchel	RBW
1848	One of the feeblest of all the Irish rebellions fizzles out without really even getting started	The Shan Van Voght (1848)	RBW, BS
1852	Thomas Francis Meagher, convicted of anti-British activities, escapes and flees to the United States	The Escape of Meagher	BS, RBW
1858, 1901	James Stephens, founded the Fenians in 1858 -- though he largely dissociated himself from them in later years; he died in 1901, and is remembered in this song	James Stephens, the Gallant Fenian Boy	RBW
1866	The Fenians in American try to bring about Irish independence by attacking Canada. They fail spectacularly	A Fenian Song (I)	RBW
1867	The Manchester Martyrs: In the process of attempting to rescue a prisoner, the Fenians cause the death of a policeman. The actual murderer goes free, but three others are executed by the British for the crime	The Smashing of the Van (I)	RBW
1868	William Johnston defies the Party Processions Act and becomes the hero of the radical Protestants of Ulster.	William Johnston of Ballykilbeg	BS, RBW
1871	Irish nationalist Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa is freed from prison on condition that he leave Ireland	Rossa's Farewell to Erin	BS, RBW
1872	The Irish Home Rule League is founded; although initially associated with Isaac Butt, it is Charles Stewart Parnell who does the most to advance the cause	Home Rule for Ireland	BS, RBW
1879	The Land League places increasing pressure on the British to assure greater rights for tenants against their landlords	The Bold Tenant Farmer	RBW
c. 1880- 1891	Charles Stewart Parnell becomes the dominant force in Irish politics and, by carefully playing off both sides in the British parliament, gains many freedoms for Ireland	We Won't Let Our Leader Run Down	BS, RBW
1882- 1883	The Phoenix Park Murders, in which an Irish secretary and his assistant are killed by terrorists, badly damaging the hopes for Irish "Home Rule."	The Phoenix Park Tragedy	BS, RBW
1886	Gladstone's Home Rule bill (which fails in the British parliament) inspires much hope in large parts of Ireland -- and fervent opposition among Ulster Protestants	A Loyal Song Against Home Rule	RBW
1914	At a time when the British could least afford it, due to the coming of World War I, a riot over gun-running results in civilian casualties and an increase in Irish dislike for the English	Bachelor's Walk	RBW
1916	The Easter Rebellion. Padraig Pearce and other nationalits attempt to take over Dublin, and are crushed. Reviled at first by the ordinary Irish, they are treated so badly by the British that the rebellion eventually changes the attitudes of all Ireland save the Protestants of Ulster.	The Boys from County Cork	RBW
1914	Will the Irish accept "Home Rule" -- internal autonomy while maintaining ties to the British crown -- or insist on an independent republic?	De Valera	RBW, BS
1916	Roger Casement tries to run guns to the Irish nationalists, and -- given the consequences of the Easter Rebellion, plus the fact that it was the Germans who were arming him -- is hanged	Lovely Banna Strand	RBW
1920	Sean Treacy, nationalist and terrorist, is finally run down by the British and killed in a shootout; among nationalists, he became famous both for his many escapes and for his death	Sean Treacy	RBW
1920- 1921	After the First World War, with Ireland in turmoil, the British brought in ex-soldiers, the Black and Tans, to try to control the violence. Having no sympathy for the Irish, the Black and Tans instead escalated the conflict.	The Bold Black and Tan	RBW
1920	The fight at Kilmichael: A random act of violence during a period of random acts of violence. This one serves to make Tom Barry famous.	The Boys of Kilmichael	BS, RBW
1921	The fight at Crossbarry: Another random act of violence associated with Tom Barry.	The Piper of Crossbarry	BS, RBW
1921	After the violence of the Black and Tan Wars, the English agree to negotiate with the Irish. The result is the "Treaty" creating the Irish Free State. Most Irish welcome peace; the extreme nationalists fight on -- against their own government	The Irish Free State	RBW
1916- 1922	In the years after the Easter Rising, one man above all others comes to represent Ireland. Michael Collins hurt the British enough that they decided to negotiate, helped negotiate the Free State treaty, led the Irish Free State -- and was assassinated by hard-liners	General Michael Collins	RBW
1922	In the wars over the Irish Free State, the former cabinet member Cathal Brugha is killed while in rebellion against the Irish government	The Death of Brugh	RBW
1923	After starting a civil war mostly over names and forms, the extreme republicans finally give in -- but the "Legion of the Rearguard" will not abandon the hope of a Republic.	The Legion of the Rearguard	RBW
1947	Death of James Larkin, who early in his career campaigned for worker's rights and independence in Ireland, but went into exile, then returned and spent many years as a relatively minor M.P.	Jim Larkin, R.I.P.	BS, RBW

The French and Indian War and the Seven Years' War

The American Revolution Cycle

Napoleon and the Napoleonic Wars

The War of 1812 Cycle

The Australian History Cycle

The Crimean War Cycle

The American Civil War Cycle

The Arctic Exploration Cycle

The Great Shipwrecks

Tales from Other Wars

Outlaws and Pirates

Miscellaneous Historical Events

Christian Apocrypha and Legends

Other Topics

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