The Ballad of Patrick Murphy by John Spillane.mov

Well lads we had a brilliant day in Passage West to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the killing of local fisherman Patrick Murphy by a bullet from a bailiff's gun in 1911. There was the blessing of the boats, the laying of the wreath, the setting of the park bench and the grand concert, featuring the local church choir, the Carrigaline dancers, the Barrack Street Band (who had played there 100 years ago, there was superb soprano Cara O'Sullivan, and there was me, billed as International Star John Spillane.
I was asked by Walty Murphy, grandson of the murdered fisherman, to write a song for the occasion and I am delighted to say that yes I came up with the goods and performed the world premiere of my new song 'The Ballad Of Patrick Murphy'

The Ballad of Patrick Murphy.

They lived beside the river
At the turning of the tide
They lived beside the river
By the river they lived and they died

Patrick Murphy was a fisherman, and a gentleman, and a good man,
In the town of Passage West,
With a wife and seven children,
And he tended to his nets.

In nineteen and eleven,
On a lovely night in May,
He rowed with three companions,
Across to French's Bay.

A fishing for a living,
Like their fathers did before,
They were dreaming of the salmon,
As they waited on the shore.

Ah they lived beside the river,
At the turning of the tide,
They lived beside the river,
By the river they lived and they died.

But a bailiff's boat came down the Lee,
The dreaded Murricawn,
They came down from Blackrock Castle,
They sailed down past the Moocawn,

For the bailliffs they were gangsters,
In the service of the crown,
They came down with revolvers,
And they shot Pat Murphy down.

They lived beside the river,
At the turning of the tide,
They lived beside the river,
By the river they lived and they died.

'Bring in that man who shot me,
Before you and I must part,
I hold no grudge against him,
I forgive him from my heart'

But the people still remember
That justice was not done,
For the killing of Pat Murphy,
By the bullet from a bailliff's gun

Ah they lived beside the river,
At the turning of the tide,
They lived beside the river,
By the river they laughed and they cried,
By the river they dreamed and they sighed,
By the river they lived and they died.

Video by Stephen Bean
Thanks to Walty and Jim Murphy and all the Murphy clan, John Spillane, Passage West, May 16th 2011.