In the county Tyrone, in the town of Dungannon
Where many a ruckus meself had a hand in
Bob Williamson lived there, a weaver by trade
And all of us thought him a stout-hearted blade.

On the twelfth of July as it yearly did come
Bob played on the flute to the sound of the drum
You can talk of your fiddles, your harp or your flute
But there''s nothing could sound like the Old Orange Flute.

But the treacherous scoundrel, he took us all in
For he married a Papist named Bridget McGinn
Turned Papish himself and forsook the Old Cause
That gave us our freedom, religion and laws.

And the boys in the county made such a stir on it
They forced Bob to flee to the province of Connaught,
Took with him his wife and his fixins, to boot,
And along with the rest went the Old Orange Flute.

Each Sunday at mass, to atone for past deeds,
Bob said Paters and Aves and counted his beads
Till one Sunday morn, at the priest''s own require
Bob went for to play with the flutes in the choir.

He went for to play with the flutes in the mass
But the instrument quivered and cried."O Alas!"
And blow as he would, though he made a great noise,
The flute would play only "The Protestant Boys".

Bob jumped up and huffed, and was all in a flutter.
He pitched the old flute in the best holy water,
He thought that this charm would bring some other sound,
When he tried it again, it played "Croppies Lie Down!"

And for all he would finger and twiddle and blow
For to play Papish music, the flute would not go,
"Kick the Pope" to "Boyne Water" was all it would sound
Not one Papish bleat in it could e'er be found.

At a council of priests that was held the next day
They decided to banish the Old Flute away,
They couldn''t knock heresy out of its head
So they bought Bob another to play in its stead.

And the Old Flute was doomed, and its fate was pathetic
''Twas fastened and burnt at the stake as heretic.
As the flames rose around it, you could hear a strange noise
''Twas the Old Flute still a-whistlin'' "The Protestant Boys".

From Holland the eagles of France are all fled
And the Orange of Nassau replaced in their stead;
So we trust our good neighbours brought wisdom may learn
Their friends and allies from their foes to discern.
Then advance in full chorus my brave Orangemen,
The French we did beat, and we'll beat them again.

In the Hollanders cause we as cordially join,
As they did in ours on the banks of the Boyne;
When under King William in one common league,
We planted an Orange tree fresh from the Hague.
Then advance in full chorus, my brave Orangemen,
May that Orange tree flourish for ever, Amen.

With their blood our brave ancestors moistened its root,
And thence the rich flavour we taste in its fruit,
With ours, we will also repeal each invader,
When the law is our guide, and a Brunswick our leader,
So advance in full chorus, my brave Orangemen,
Our foes we did beat, and we'll beat them again.

Here under its ample and wide spreading shade,
Our vows shall to loyalty ever be paid;
It is now in full growth as well as full bearing.
The glory, the pride and the boast of green Erin.
So advance in full chorus, my brave Orangemen,
Our foes we did beat, and we'll beat them again.

There it prospers without any labour or toil,
Agrees with the climate, and unites with the soil,
And long shall its verdure remain in full force
So long as King William bestrides his grey horse.
Then advance in full chorus, my brave Orangemen,
Our foes we did beat, and we'll beat them again.

And long shall the hero our champion be seen,
Bestriding that horse to adorn College green;
In Orange and purple superbly arrayed
While he smilles at his boys when they form on parade;
And in their full chorus so cheerful advance
The pride of green Erin, the terror of France.

So let those all know who against us petition,
Their impotent malice we hold in derision;
No wonder that while their meek parliament sits,
That we frighten the upstarts quite out of their wits,
While in a full chorus we pray for success
To the manly and spirited Derry address.

Now, to put to due shame all affected vexation
We report as at large in our first declaration
That if men will be loyal and true to the laws
Under one gracious King and in one noble cause
Till our globe is dissolved and mortality ends,
We'll advance in full chorus and hail them as friends.

Friday 18th - Hillsborough Protestant Boys FB - Hillsborough

Saturday 19th - Whitewell Defenders FB - North Belfast (Afternoon Parade

Saturday 19th - Castlederg Young Loyalists FB - Castlederg

Friday 25th - South Fermanagh Loyalists FB - Enniskillen


October 2009

Friday 2nd - Tamlaghtmore Tigers FB - Ardboe