The History Behind The Wind that Shakes the Barley
Written by Katie D.

When deciding on something to write, I wanted to write about something that interests me, and one thing I find very interesting, is how much history is hidden behind old folk songs. Eventually I would like to write a curriculum for homeschoolers, teaching history through folk songs, but until I get around to writing a curriculum, I thought it would be nice to share some of my passion, as well as small amount of knowledge, by writing this article on one of my favorite Gaelic folk songs, The Wind that Shakes the Barley.

* I sat within a valley green
I sat me with my true love
My sad heart strove to choose between
The old love and the new love
The old for her, the new that made
Me think on Ireland dearly
While soft the wind blew down the glen
And shook the golden barley

Twas hard the woeful words to frame
To break the ties that bound us
But harder still to bear the shame
Of foreign chains around us
And so I said, "The mountain glen
I'll seek at morning early
And join the bold United Men"
While soft winds shake the barley

While sad I kissed away her tears
My fond arms 'round her flinging
A full man shot burst on our ears
From out the wild-wood ringing
A bullet pierced my true love's side
In life's young spring so early
And on my breast in blood she died
While soft winds shook the barley

But blood for blood without remorse
I've taken at Oulart Hollow
And laid my true love's clay-cold corpse
Where I full soon may follow
As 'round her grave I wander drear
Noon, night and morning early
With breaking heart when e'er I hear
The wind that shakes the barley.

The Wind that Shakes the Barley is an old Irish Folk song dating back to the nineteenth century. Despite the time it was written, the setting is Wexford county Ireland, during the 1798 rebellion against England.
Tired of the prejudice way that Ireland was governed, in which the Protestants held all the power, the Irish began a revolt. Their goal: to gain separation from England as America had done before them.
There are several interesting references to the war, in this song, which I would like to point out to you:

1. While soft the wind blew down the glen
And shook the golden barley

The mention of barely in the name and the chorus comes from the fact that the Irish rebels carried barely oats in their pockets to use as a quick meal on the road.

2. And so I said, "The mountain glen
I'll seek at morning early
And join the bold United Men"

'The United Men' refers to the Society of United Irishmen, founded the 1780's under the name the "Irish Patriot Party", and which was responsible for the revolt.

3. But blood for blood without remorse
I've taken at Oulart Hollow

This is my favorite historical reference of all because it is so interesting.
Oulart Hollow was a hill in Wexford county, whereupon the English militia found around 1,000 rebels upon arriving, all of them ready for battle.
The militia began to burn several cottages at the foot of the hill, hoping to lure the rebels down. However, the rebels did not advance, and though many were seen slipping away from the battle, theses were quickly cut off.
Encouraged by the rebels apparent fear, the English militia began to charge the hill without waiting for their artillery, as one witness claims they had orders to do.
As they advanced they let several volleys fly upon the Irishmen. The Irishmen, however, let no shots return to the English, until they were closer upon them. Then the Irishmen began to shoot, shooting fiercely and in abundance, leading a charge against the English, who fled, leading a chase several miles long.
In the end but four English survived to get to safety.
You can doubtlessly see how the Irish certainly got 'blood for blood' in this victory, and how much history can be learned by searching a folk song in Wikipedia and following the links!
Now I hope that I've been able to share a little bit of my passion with you, and I that you've learned a little bit about Ireland and their long fight for freedom from the "foreign chains around them".

~ Vintage Authoress

*that is the lyrics as I know them, there is one extra verse, but I have omitted it since the version I know doesn't include it.