The Sash

For the Ballboy album, see The Sash My Father Wore and Other Stories. For other uses, see Sash (disambiguation).

"The Sash" (also known as "The Sash My Father Wore") is a ballad from Northern Ireland commemorating the victory of King William III[citation needed] in the Williamite War in Ireland in 1690–1691. The lyrics mention the 1689 Siege of Derry, the 1689 Battle of Newtownbutler near Enniskillen, the 1691 Battle of Aughrim, and the 1690 Battle of the Boyne. It is popular amongst Ulster loyalists and many other unionists in Northern Ireland, it also remains a popular folk ballad in parts of Ireland and Scotland [citation needed].

The Sash, music score

The melody has been traced back to the early 19th century.[citation needed] The tune of "The Sash" was well-known around Europe,[citation needed] and before the lyrics were added, it was a love song that lamented the division between people. Instead of "it was old and it was beautiful", the lyrics were "she was young and she was beautiful" and is in Broadside Ballads (1787),[1] titled "Irish Molly O".[citation needed] Another known printing of the tune is from 1876 including the words "The Hat My Father Wore".[2][dead link] The song is classified in the Roud Folk Song Index as number 4796.[citation needed] It has also been adapted by fans of Stockport County F.C., who call it "The Scarf My Father Wore" or simply "The Anthem".[3]

  1. ^ "Ballads Online". ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  2. ^ "Hat My Father Wore, The". csufresno.edu. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  3. ^ Irwin, Colin (2006). Sing When You're Winning. Andre Deutsch. pp. 143–144. ISBN 978-0233001845.