Killaloe March

As a Galway estate landowner he was related through his bohemian cousin Willie Wills, the famous Victorian court artist and composer, to General John Doyle, who founded the 87th, later the Royal Irish Fusiliers.

Martin was so impoverished by the Land League rent strikes that he moved to London and turned to journalism, burlesque song writing and politics.

He worked for the Sporting Chronicle, nicknamed "The Pink'un", on account of the colour of the paper, a Victorian version of "Private Eye" crossed with "News of the World".

He was also a member of the Pelican Club, a notorious group of aristocracy, gentry, sportsmen, army officers, sporting journalists and other colourful characters who believed in living life to the full, usually well beyond their means, and who held court at Romano's restaurant in the Strand, near the Gaiety Theatre.

His virulent Anti Home Rule views are reflected in his songs, which consistently depict the Irish as drunken, brawling if loveable rogues who were clearly unfit to govern themselves.

Well I Happened to be born At the time they cut the corn Quite contagious to the town of Killaloe Where to tayche us they'd a schame And a French Mossoo he came to instruct us in the game of parley voo.

Oh boys, where was the fun, you should see him when 'twas done His eyeballs one by one did disappear And a doctor from the South took one look at his mouth Which had some how got concayled behind his ear Then he swore an awful oath, he'd have the law agin' us both And then he'd have both Lim-e-rick and Clare For he found it wouldn't do, to teach French in Killaloe Unless he has a face or two to spare

Be they Russian, French or Dutch It doesn't matter much, We're the boys to give 'em sugar in their tay For we're the Connaught Rangers, The lads to face all dangers, Faugh-a-ballagh, faugh-a-aballagh, Clear the way!

When the colleens hear their step, it makes their hearts to leap Aaargh, jewels will ye wist till Parrick's day?