“Not a Word of "No Surrender"”
Description
The singer hears two Orangemen complain "we're ruined by Emancipation; ['Popish Daniel'] O'Connell brave and all his men They're a terror to the nation." About this, he hears not a word of "No Surrender"
Notes
The Catholic Emancipation Act allowed Catholics to sit as MPs and made Catholics eligible for most public offices but disenfranchised many poor Irish (source: "Catholic Emancipation" on The Peel Web site). [I would consider it clearer to say that it failed to enfranchise many poor Irish; at this time, the poor were generally disenfranchised in all of Britain. - RBW]
This song shares a theme and at least four lines with GreigDuncan3 691, "Our Orange Flags May Gang to Rags": "May the old Devil take partial Peel Why did he yield to popish Donnell [Daniel] And Wellington great laurels won How soon he's run for to join O'Connell." Nevertheless, the rest of the songs sharing no line or chorus, I think they should be separate.
GreigDuncan3 p. 685, quoting Edwards, _A New History of Ireland_: "The reversal of Tory policy on the issue of Catholic emancipation can be ascribed to O'Connell's methods. Wellington, the victor of Waterloo, who became Prime Minister in 1828, was obliged to considre what would be the full consequences of a resort to force in Ireland over the Catholic question. The climax came when O'Connell was returned as a member of parliament for Clare and at the bar of the House of Commons refused to take the declaration against transubstantiation and the anti-Catholic oath of allegiance. Tory feelings were aroused to an intense heat, but in their wisdom, Wellington and his home secretary and political heir, Sir Robert Peel, forced George IV to give way."
"No Surrender" is a reference to the defiant declaration attributed to the Williamites defending Derry in 1688-1689. See "No Surrender (I)" and references there. - BS
See also "The Shutting of the Gates of Derry," plus the many Daniel O'Connell songs cited under "Daniel O'Connell (I)." - RBW
Historical references
- 1829 - Irish Catholic Emancipation Act passes supported by Daniel O'Connell and the Catholic Association
Cross references
- cf. "Kerry Eagle" (subject: Daniel O'Connell) and references there
- cf. "Our Orange Flags May Gang to Rags" (subject and some lines)
Recordings
- Robert Cinnamond, "Not a Word of 'No Surrender'" (on IRRCinnamond01)
References
- Roud #6987
- BI, RcNaWoNS