CHORUS: Lero, lero, lilli burlero, 
Lilli burlero, bullen a la 
Lero lero, lero lero, 
Lilli burlero, bullen a la. 

Ho, by my Soul, it is a Talbot; 
And he will cut all de English throat, 
Though by my soul, de English do prate, 
De law's on dere side and de divil knows what, 
But if Dispense do come from de Pope, 
We'll hang Magna Carta and demselves on a rope. 
And de good Talbot is now made a Lord, 
And with his brave lads he's coming aboard. 
Who all In France have taken a swear, 
Dat day will have no Protestant heir. 
O but why does he stay behind? 
Ho, by my soul, 'tis a Protestant wind, 
Now that Tyrconnel is come ashore, 
And we shall have Commissions galore. 
And he dat will not go to de Mass, 
Shall be turned out and look like an ass, 
Now, now de hereticks all will go down, 
By Christ and St. Patrick's the nation's our own. 
Dere was an old prophecy found in a bog, 
Dat our land would be ruled by an ass and a dog. 
So now dis old prophecy's coming to pass, 
For James is de dog and Tyrconnel's de ass. 

Note: This immensely catchy tune first turned up in 1641 in Ulster. In 1688, King James II designated Colonel Richard Talbot, a Catholic, as Earl of Tyrconnel and sent him to Ireland as Lord Lieutenant. This enraged the English and Irish
Protestants, who took up this song-"For James is de dog and Tyrconnel's de ass"-as their protest. It's been claimed that this tune "whistled James from the throne of England." A nice, if apocryphal, line. 
 

'Twas on the twelfth day of July in the year of '49 
Ten hundreds of our Orangemen together did combine, 
In the memory of King William, on that bright and glorious day 
To walk all round Lord Roden's park, and right over Dolly's Brae. 

And when we came to Westbridge, wasn't that a glorious sight 
To see so many Orangemen all willing for to fight, 
To march all round the old remains, the music so sweetly did play, 
And the tune we played was "The Protestant Boys" right over Dolly's Brae. 

And as we walked along the road not fearing any harm, 
Our guns all over our shoulders, and our broadswords in our hands, 
Until two priests came up to us, and to Mr. Speers did say, 
"Come, turn your men the other road, and don't cross Dolly's Brae. 

Then out bespeaks our Orangemen, "Indeed we won't delay, 
You have your men all gathered and in a manger lay. 
Begone, begone, you Papist dogs, we'll conquer or we'll die 
And we'll let you see we're not afraid to cross over Dolly's Brae. 

And when we came to Dolly's Brae they were lined on every side 
Praying for the Virgin Mary to be their holy guide; 
We loosened our guns upon them and we gave them no time to pray, 
And the tune we played was "The Protestant Boys" right over Dolly's Brae. 

The priest he came, his hands he wrung, saying, "My brave boys, you're 
dead, 
Some holy water I'll prepare, to sprinkle on your heads," 
The Pope of Rome he did disown, his heart was grieveful sore, 
And the Orange cry, as we passed by, was "Dolly's Brae no more!" 

Come all ye blind-led Papists, wherever that ye be, 
Never bow down to priest or Pope, for them they will disown; 
Never bow down to images, for God (you must) adore, 
Come, join our Orange heroes, and cry "Dolly's Brae no more". 

There was a damsel among them all, and one we shall adore, 
For she wore the Orange around her head and cried "Dolly's Brae no more!" 
And if they ever come back again, we'll give them ten times more, 
And we'll christen this "King William's Bridge", and cry "Dolly's Brae no 
more." 

From The Voice of the People, Mulcahy and Fitzgibbons 
Note: Dolly's Brae is a pass in County Down. The song refers to a fight 
between Orangemen and Ribbonmen. M & 
 

Dolly's Brae Version 1

Being on the 12th day of July, eighteen and forth-nine 
The pagans of this country together did combine, 
To shoot and slay our Orangemen upon that glorious day, 
They did encamp in thousands great at a place called Dolly's Brae 

Lord Roden was Grand Master of the Orangemen just then, 
No better chieftain could be found among the sons of men: 
To humanists he would not yield, nor any Popish foe. 
He firmly stood like Joshua on the plains of Jericho. 

He sent an invitation to Rathfriland Orange corps, 
To come and spend the day with him at sylvan Tollymore 
The Orangemen they did obey their noble chief's command: 
So over Dolly's Brae they marched, a loyal, stalwart band. 

The sun did shine with splendor in a bright and cloudless sky, 
Our drums did beat and fifes did play, and Orange flags did fly, 
Each loyal son, with sword and gun, was ready for the fray, 
Had the rebel hordes attacked us going over Dolly's Brae. 

Priest Mooney and Priest Murphy went through the rebel lines, 
Distributing the wafer god among the Phillistines; 
Priest Mooney cursed the Orangemen with candle, book and bell, 
While the rebel crowd did cry aloud, "We'll drive them all to hell." 

But still the Orangemen marched on thru Castlewellan town, 
Brave Jordan being in command, he feared no Popish frown, 
He nobly led his brethren on like William, Prince of yore, 
Until they reached the entrance gate of sylvan Tollymore. 

A splendid arch that gate did span which we all passed thru, 
And in the center of the arch these words appeared in view; 
"Welcome all to Tollymore, this day we gladly join, 
To commemorate and celebrate the victory of the Boyne". 

Lord Roden gave a brief address, and then to us did say, 
"Beware, my Orange brethren, going home by Dolly's Brae, 
Give no offense to any man as you're returning home, 
But don't look shy when passing by those pagan troops of Rome". 

We loudly cheered for Roden then and for the British Crown; 
Slieve Donard sent the echo back o'er Castlewellan town. 
The pagans heard our loyal cheers, as they lay on the hill, 
Awaiting there, like hungry wolves, our Orangemen to kill. 

We formed in full procession and unfurled our flags once more; 
We bade adieu to all the friends we left at Tollymore. 
With fifes and drums and loaded guns we gaily marched away. 
Resolving to defend ourselves going home o'er Dolly's Brae. 

With courage strong we marched along thru Castlewellan town, 
And when we reached the Boretree Hill, a messenger came down. 
He says, "Prepare both front and rear, attend to what I say. 
A hot reception you will get before you're o'er the Brae. 

As o'er the Brae we did proceed, the road being very bare, 
The Ribbonmen advantage took and fired upon our rear; 
Like lions stout we wheeled about, with powder and with ball, 
The volley we sent into them caused scores of them to fall. 

The battle it raged loud and keen along the mountain-side, 
To save ourselves, as best we could, our ranks we opened wide; 
The volleys from the rebel guns had no effect at all, 
For not a man among our ranks fell by a Papish ball. 

As fearlessly we charged them, their terror it was great, 
Thru rocks and whins, to save their shins, they beat a fast retreat 
The Coolagh tykes threw down their pikes and boldly ran away, 
And cursed the day they came to fight at fatal Dolly's Brae. 

The battle being over, the glorious victory won. 
We reached our homes that evening by the setting of the sun, 
Our wives and sweethearts met us, returning home that day; 
With shouts of joy they greeted us safe back o'er Dolly's Brae. 

So now my song I mean to end, my pen I will throw down, 
I say success to every man supports the British Crown, 
And generations yet unborn shall sing this loyal lay, 
And speak of those that beat their foes at famous Dolly's Brae. 

This is one of the several versions of the song. Dolly's Brae is a steep road with a difficult pass 
which on 12 July 1848 was occupied by a large assembly of Ribbonmen intent on stopping by 
violence the traditional march of Orangemen to
Tollymore. To prevent trouble the Orangemen avoided the Brae that year, a concession
which merely allowed the jubilant Ribbonmen to circulate songs deriding the Orangemen 
for their supposed cowardice. Confrontation the following year was
inevitable: indeed the triumphant Ribbonmen sent a letter to a magistrate, George Shaw, 
challenging both police and soldiers to meet them on the Brae and boasting that it would 
be the last Twelfth on which the Orangemen would walk through
their country. The Orangemen got through to Castlewellan and held their demonstration but,
on their returning over the Brae, they were ambushed. The first shots were fired
by the Ribbonmen but the Orangemen were well prepared and on
returning the fire killed about 30 Ribbonmen without loss to themselves. 
The Government, no friend of Orangeism or of the right of the Orangemen to march, 
used the Dolly's Brae affray as the excuse for the passing of the Party Processions 
Act a biased piece of law which penalized Protestants while ignoring the antics
of the nationalists.

X: 2 
T:Dolly's Brae 
M:4/4 
L:1/8 
Q:120 
C:Trad. 
S:#16 P.46 Lilliburlero!Vol-2,The Ulster Society 
K:C 
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Sure l'm an Ulster Orangeman, from Erin's isle I came, 
To see my British brethren all of honour and of fame, 
And to tell them of my forefathers who fought in days of yore, 
That I might have the right to wear, the sash my father wore! 

cho: It is old but it is beautiful, and its colors they are fine 
It was worn at Derry, Aughrim, Enniskillen and the Boyne. 
My father wore it as a youth in bygone days of yore 
And on the Twelfth I love to wear the sash my father wore 

 For those brave men who crossed the Boyne have not fought or died in vain 
Our Unity, Religion, Laws, and Freedom to maintain, 
If the call should come we'll follow the drum, and cross that river once more 
That tomorrow's Ulsterman may wear the sash my father wore! 

And when some day, across the sea to Antrim's shore you come, 
We'll welcome you in royal style, to the sound of flute and drum 
And Ulster's hills shall echo still, from Rathlin to Dromore 
As we sing again the loyal strain of the sash my father wore! 

This could well be the best known Orange song