Song of the 1911 Senior Four

Dr. Gabriel O'Connell Redmond, M.D., already mentioned as a steward at the Cappoquin regatta of 1880, was a direct descendant of Daniel O'Connell and was for over 50 years one of the most ardent supporters of the club. To commemorate the 1911 senior four crew, he wrote the following song, which was sung by Jimmy Hackett and Jim Brennan, two of the old brigade at a rowing club concert held in aid of club funds in 1911. In the same year the senior eight were runners up to City of Derry for the Leander Cup at Cork. Incidentally City of Derry won the inaugural senior eight championship of Ireland in 1912.

AIR: Eton Boat Song

I
We are glad kind friends to see you,
We know you wish us well;
And so if you will hearken,
Our doings we will tell;
And thus we weld a friendship
Never to know its knell;
A friendship to last forever
Powerful as Fairy Spell.

II
Our Rowing Club is famous,
Our boys are good and true'
We'll row and row together
To honour the old dark blue our veteran cox to guide us
We'll conquer the "Varsity Crew"
And shout from the Cloch an Chuinne,
"Stanley and Curran aboo".

III
When Heaphy, Sargent, Lacey,
And Barron swinging the oar,
A cheer is heard resounding
And echoes from shore to shore;
But when they 'give 'em a dozen;
And come in a winning crew,
We raise a shout 0£ triumph, Hurrah
For the Old Dark Blue.

IV
The cups we've won are many,
From Shandon, Cork and Lee;
Now soon we'll count among them
A trophy from T.C.D.
And following in our footsteps;
The junior crews will score
At Henley, Dublin, Shandon,
And here on the Avonmore.

V

So let us sink all squabbles,

And pull for the common weal,

We'll all row together,

And keep on an even keel.

Among us quarrels will never

Weaken a stalwart crew,

Thus nothing on earth shall sever

The boys of the Old Dark Blue.