“The Sash My Father Wore”, or simply “The Sash”, is a well-known song from the Irish province of Ulster and Scotland. “The Sash” might be one of the most divisive songs in Ireland, but it is loved by a large part of the Northern Irish population. However, he is certainly not universally loved, thanks to centuries of political overtones associated with him.
The Sash is steeped in Ulster and Irish history, and proudly tells the story of King William III’s victories over King James II, during the wars these two English monarchs fought in Ireland from 1689 to 1691. It is a song that is also played in Scotland during events run by the Orange Order.
The lyrics mention historical events of the so-called “Williammite War,” which included the Siege of Derry in 1689, the Battle of Newtown Butler in 1689, the famous Battle of Boyne in 1690, and the decisive Battle of Aughrim a year later.
Finally, the battles were fought between a king considered Protestant and a Catholic king. Hence, “The Sash” is seen as an incredibly controversial song because it has become an anthem for sectarian (religion-based) political groups.
Why “The Sash” is a controversial song
The lyrics of “The Sash” are considered offensive by the population, but to understand why it is first essential to know a little more about the history of Ireland. It’s a complicated tale of two kings at war, but here’s the breakdown:
In the first place, the Wilhelmite War in Ireland (1688-1691) was a conflict between Jacobites (supporters of the Catholic King James II of England and Ireland, VII of Scotland) and Croamites (multinational supporters of the Dutch Protestant Prince William of Orange) over who should be monarch of the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland.
James had been deposed as king of these three kingdoms in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, and the mostly Catholic Jacobites of Ireland supported his return to power, as did France. For this reason, the war became part of a larger European conflict known as the Nine Years’ War.
The Protestant Williamites of Northern Ireland favored union with Great Britain.
The mostly Protestant Williamites, concentrated in the North of Ireland, opposed James. William got a multinational force in Ireland to quell the Jacobite resistance. James left Ireland after the defeats at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 and the Battle of Aughrim in 1691. The Punisher victories of the Siege of Derry and the Battle of Boyne are still celebrated in Ireland today, mainly by Protestant Ulster trade unionists.
There was intense anxiety in Holland about England under James, whom the Dutch suspected of favoring France, his arch enemy after a war with France and previous Anglo-French alliances had caused Holland great suffering. They wanted England’s support for an alliance against Louis XIV. William invaded England in 1688 as a preemptive strike, and it worked.
James fled to France, joining the queen and the infant Prince of Wales there. It was decided that James had de facto abdicated. As William was James’s nephew and the closest and most legitimate male relative, and his wife, Mary, was James’s eldest daughter and heir, William and Mary were jointly offered the throne, which they accepted. Similarly, they were also awarded the throne in Scotland.
William defeated James and Irish Catholic Jacobinism in Ireland
William had defeated Jacobinism in Ireland, and subsequent Jacobite uprisings were limited to Scotland and England. In Ireland, Great Britain and the Protestants ruled the country for more than two centuries, effectively keeping Catholics from any position of royal power.
For more than a century after the war, Irish Catholics maintained a sentimental attachment to the Jacobite cause, portraying James and the Stuarts as the rightful monarchs who would have given Ireland a fair deal, with self-government, the restoration of the lands. confiscated, and tolerance for Catholicism.
As for “The Sash,” the melody to which the lyrics are sung has been known since the late 18th century in the British Isles and throughout Europe. The first letter, from 1787, seems to have been a lament over the lovers who were forcibly separated and contains a chorus that begins: “She was young and beautiful,” far from the political anthem it has become.
It seems that there is no definitive version of this song, so we present here a popular set of lyrics and below them some well-known alternate lyrics.
Popular lyrics
Chorus :
Sure it’s old, but it’s beautiful
And the colors are fine.
It was used in Derry, Aughrim,
Enniskillen and Boyne.
Sure my father used it when he was young
In the bygone days of yore,
and it is in the twelfth I love to use
the girdle my father wore.
Sure I’m an Ulster Orangeman
And from the Isle of Erin I came
to see my boys go gravlin
Of honor and fame.
And to tell them about my ancestors
who fought in days of yore
All day July 12
In the sash my father wore.
Chorus:
So here I am in Glasgow city
To find them girls to see
And I hope, good old Orange Ulster,
May everyone welcome me.
A real blue sword just arrived
From the dear old shore of Ulster
All day July 12
In the sash my father wore.
Chorus:
Oh, when will I leave them all.
Oh good luck. I will tell them.
As I cross the rough sea, my boys.
I will surely play the orange flute.
And going back to my hometown,
to old belfast once again
To be welcomed by those Orangemen
in the sash my father wore.
Alternative letters
So I’m sure I’m an Ulster Orangeman, from the island of Erin I came,
To see my British brothers with all honor and fame,
and to tell my ancestors that they fought in days of yore, to
that I have the right to dress, the girdle that my father wore!
Chorus:
It’s old but it’s beautiful
and its colors are fine.
It was used in Derry, Aughrim,
Enniskillen and Boyne.
My father used it when he was young
in times gone by of yore,
and on the 12th I love to use
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 comes, we’ll follow the drum, and cross that river one more time
That Ulsterman from tomorrow He can wear the girdle my father wore!
Chorus:
And when one day, across the sea from the Antrim coast that comes,
we will welcome you in the royal style, with the sound of the flute and drum
And the hills of Ulster still echo, from Rathlin to Dromore
As they sing again the loyal strain of The Girdle My Father Wore!
The girdle and football
Some supporters of the Glasgow Rangers football team are known for their unionist (sectarian) politics, and many fans use “The Sash” as a kind of anthem, just as Irish supporters of Celtic Glasgow use Republican songs. Despite both clubs trying to alienate their respective fans from sectarianism, this new visit to ancient history is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
The song has also been used by fans of the Stockport County Football Club as “The Scarf My Father Wore” (referring to the typical football scarf). Liverpool Football Club supporters have also recycled the tune as “Poor Scouser Tommy.”
