Ten years before I saw the light of morning,
a comradeship of heroes was laid,
from every corner of the world came sailing
the Fifth International Brigade.
They came to stand beside the Spanish people,
to try and stem the rising fascist tide,
Franco's allies were the powerful and wealthy,
Frank Ryan's men came from the other side.
Even the olives were bleeding,
as the battle for Madrid it thundered on,
truth and love against the force of evil,
brotherhood against the fascist clan.
Viva la Quinta Brigada,
"No Pasaran", the pledge that made them fight.
"Adelante" is the cry around the hillside,
let us all remember them tonight.
Bob Hilliard was a Church of Ireland pastor,
form Killarney across the Pyrenees he came,
from Derry came a brave young Christian Brother,
side by side they fought and died in Spain.
Tommy Woods aged seventeen died in Cordoba,
with Na Fianna he learned to hold his gun,
from Dublin to the Villa del Rio,
where he fought and died beneath the blazing sun.
Viva la Quinta Brigada,
"No Pasaran", the pledge that made them fight.
"Adelante" is the cry around the hillside,
let us all remember them tonight.
Many Irishmen heard the call of Franco,
joined Hitler and Mussolini, too.
Propaganda from the pulpit and newspapers,
helped O'Duffy to enlist his crew.
The word came from Maynooth, "Dupport the Nazis!"
The men of cloth failed again.
When the Bishops blessed the Blueshirts in Dun Laoghaire,
as they sailed beneath the swastika to Spain.
Viva la Quinta Brigada,
"No Pasaran", the pledge that made them fight.
"Adelante" is the cry around the hillside,
let us all remember them tonight.
This song is a tribute to Frank Ryan,
Kit Conway and Dinny Coady, too,
Peter Daly, Charlie Regan and Hugh Bonar,
though many died, I can but name a few.
Danny Boyle, Blaser-Brown and Charlie Donnelly,
Liam Tumilson and Jim Straney from the Falls,
Jack Nalty, Tommy Patton and Frank Conroy,
Jim Foley, Tony Fox and Dick O'Neill.
Viva la Quinta Brigada,
"No Pasaran", the pledge that made them fight.
"Adelante" is the cry around the hillside,
let us all remember them tonight.
Viva la Quinta Brigada, viva la Quinta Brigada.