The Death of Betsy Gray
Oh, Erin mourns a daughter
Who was tragically cut away
A Scot of Ulster who for Ireland
Was killed one fateful day
Her hand cut off by a traitor
Who tried to apprehend her
She used upon the English
Their own cry of “No Surrender”
And though she was a lady
And her brother and lover offered to surrender to let her go
The cowardly and brutal English
Their good breeding they did show
And shot the men upon the spot
Upon which they did stand
And Jack Gill ever the gentle man
With his sword cut off her hand
And Annahilt, the townland
Can boast two of her sons
Thomas Nelson and James Little
In the woman emptied their guns.
Oh I’m sure England is proud of her valiant men
And of the brave deeds they did do
Even those of their own church
Refused to share their pew
And the petticoats of the murdered lady
And her jewelry too
Was worn by the womenfolk of the Little’s
And that by all was knew
The siblings Gray, George and Betsy
And her lover Willie Boal we commemorate
For they were true children of Erin
Without fear they met their fate
Though their names are not well known
Like many of their kind
Let this verse for future generations
Bring these Protestant Irish heroes to mind.
And when narrow minded bigots
Ill of Scots and Protestants speak
Tell them of Tandy, Mc Cracken and the Orr’s
And the Grays, and Boal: and tell them shut their beak!