1.
One evening in December into Drum I chanced to stray,
Upon a little business, it being a Polling Day,
I spied a squad of Volunteers but they were on the run,
For they couldn't scare the voters from the famous town of Drum.
2.
I was walking briskly up the street, the air being rather thin,
To record my vote for "Michael Knight" the man who didn't win,
When a friend of mine addressed me, saying, come and see the fun,
For it's seldom we have Volunteers in the famous town of Drum.
3.
My friend and I went over then to see this gallant band,
For they say they are the heroes that are going to free our land,
But bless your soul and body boys the joke was rather rum,
For they lost their first engagement in the famous town of Drum.
4.
I next went in and cast my vote, it wasn't hard to do,
I marked it one for Michael Knight a hero staunch and true,
When that was done I sauntered in to have a glass of rum,
For to keep my spirits rising in the famous town of Drum.
5.
With hurley sticks and flags afloat they cut a splendid show,
Those eight or nine brave Volunteers from the borders of Bonoe,
But like the boys of Easter week when things began to hum,
They left their posts that evening in the famous town of Drum.
6.
At a word from their Commander they quickly turned around,
And while you'd say "Jack Robinson" those brave were homeward bound,
But if you only knew their minds they'd wish they hadn't come,
For to terrorise the voters in the famous town of Drum.
7.
Just after dark another squad came in from Clones town,
In command of Owen O'Duffy the village to surround,
But like their other leaders he is just another bum,
For he left their comrades to their fate in the famous town of Drum.
8.
The Orange boys came marching in not meaning any harm,
But when they met the Clones Boys they struck them with alarm,
They took their flags and hurley sticks just while You'd lick your thumb,
And chased them like a flock of sheep from the famous town of Drum.
9.
The Newbliss boys came marching in, their comrades to rescue,
But the Orange Boys encountered them and beat them black and blue,
That grinning "Paddy Herbert", I hear he's nearly done,
For he lost his napper in the fray in the famous town of Drum.
10.
The man they call the Goblin came riding up the street,
Dressed up in Sinn Fein colours he was looking rather neat,
But they pulled the ribbons off his horse he had stuck on with gum,
And they kicked him like a football through the famous streets of Drum.
11.
Take my advice young gentleman and never be misled,
By any Dublin Castle hacks or they'll put you off your head,
If they had been like the Nationalists and gone home the way they come
They would not have disgraced themselves in the famous town of Drum.
12.
Just one more word before I go about this gallant fight,
And I hope you'll tell me that I'm wrong if you think I'm not right.
You'll find some Dublin Castle hack was gathering up his crumbs,
For sending those poor fools to fight at the polling day in Drum.
This song was written by an unknown author. It is about incidents at polling day in the December 1918 General Election in the North Monaghan constituency in Ireland.
The "famous town of Drum" is a village in County Monaghan between Cootehill and Clones. Drum was significent in that area because it was (and still is) a predominantly Protestant town, unlike the larger towns of Clones and Newbliss nearby. For this reason the voters of Drum would have been likely to be supporters of the Unionist candidate in any election at that time.
Writing about this election, the Anglo-Celt, the local nationalist newspaper, noted that "Grave complaints are made from North Monaghan, where it is stated that "peace" patrols, equipped with bludgeons and hurley sticks, collected about the polling stations."
The Anglo-Celt also gave a brief account of events in this song:
"At Drum, North Monaghan, an Orange crowd dispossessed Sinn Feiners of their hurleys. Later, in response to a telegram from Clones, Volunteers left Newbliss for Drum, outside which the motor car was held up, and the Volunteers were beaten, it is stated, with the hurleys which had been seized earlier in the day. Their wounds were dressed at Clones."
"Michael Knight" was a prominent solicitor in Clones. He was the Unionist candidate in North Monaghan in the 1918 election. The song correctly states that he was the "man who didn't win". The seat was in fact won by Sinn Fein, the party of the "Volunteers".
The final North Monaghan election results were:
Ernest Blythe (Sinn Fein) 6842
M.E. Knight (Unionist) 4497
J.J. Turley (Nationalist) 2709
"Owen O'Duffy" was Eoin O'Duffy, the Co. Monaghan IRA commander. He was later to become one of Ireland's most contraversial figures. He was the Garda Commissioner (Irish Police Chief) for twelve years. Following this he set up the semi-fascist "Blueshirts" and become leader of Cumann na nGaedheal for a short time. He was also to lead an Irish brigade to fight for Franco in the Spanish Civil War.
I have been unable to identify "The Goblin". If any reader is aware of his identity I would be interested to know.
"Dublin Castle" was the centre of British administration in Ireland. The derogatory references to "Dublin Castle hacks" suggests that the song was written shortly after the incidents portrayed, as the British administration over County Monaghan came to an end in 1921.