[1] It evokes the memory of the freedom-fighters of the previous generation (strong, manly forms...eyes with hope gleaming), as recalled by an old woman down by the glenside.
Three verses to this song were sung by Ken Curtis and The Sons of the Pioneers in the 1950 John Ford movie Rio Grande,[2] though the film was set in the 19th-century Wild West.
It has since been recorded by numerous artists, including The Dubliners, Cherish The Ladies, Omnia, Screaming Orphans, Jim McCann, Harry O'Donoghue, and The Wolfe Tones.
The song is also sung in the first episode of the BBC series Days of Hope, written by Jim Allen and directed by Ken Loach.
An Irish barmaid is forced to sing after being sexually harassed by British soldiers and impresses them with her song.