Roaring Water Bay - The Seige of Kilcoe
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The Seige of Kilcoe
"Now, Fergus, now your soliders call! this
night decides your fate,
Place twenty men upon the wall and
twenty at the gate;
For underneath we see the plumes of the
accused foe
Who come to rack and gut and sack this
Castle of Kilcoe."
"From Bandon's town at break of day one
thousand armed men
Set forth in proudest war array through
Woodland, marsh and fern,
And every hut or home they met they
Fired or levelled low,
And now they wait outside the gate to
drive us from Kilcoe."
"By Heavens!" cries Fergus, rising up
"I
Dare the Saxon's might
To take my Father's kingly court or drag
it down to-night;
Rise up, Rise up, my clansmen true, and
Face the hellish foe
Who stands outside in martial pride, and
drive them from Kilcoe."
The stillness of the summers night as
Fergus wrathful spoke,
The clash of steel and musket shots and
angry war-cries broke;
And higher, louder grew the din, as if
the powers below,
Were loosed to slaughter helpless men that
night at old Kilcoe.
For three long hours the combat raged
and neither side had won
The gates at lenght were broken through,
but nothing more was done;
For issuising forth like Achilles, young
Fergus faced the foe;
"Brave boys" he cried, "stand be
my
side for Freedom and Kilcoe."
In vain the Saxons strove to force the
dauntless warrior back,
His flashing steel like lightning swept, and
Corpses strewd his track
His clansmen seeing their young chief so
bravely charge the foe,
In one fell swoop destroyed them all that
night at old Kilcoe.