The Croppy Boy facts for kids
The Croppy Boy is a famous Irish song. It's a type of song called a ballad. This song tells a sad story from the Irish Rebellion of 1798. It's about a young rebel, often called a "croppy," who faces a difficult fate.
Early Versions of "The Croppy Boy"
Soon after the 1798 rebellion, different versions of this song appeared. People called pedlars sang them on the streets. These early songs were printed on large sheets of paper called broadsides. They often mentioned amounts of money like "500 Guineas" or "one thousand pounds." These songs were usually sung to an old Irish tune called Cailín Óg a Stór. Some people think these early versions might have inspired another famous song, Lady Franklin's Lament.
The Famous Malone Version
A well-known version of "The Croppy Boy" was written by Carroll Malone. It first appeared in an Irish newspaper called The Nation in 1845. This version tells the story of a young man who is on his way to join the fight. He stops at a church to pray.
Inside the church, he sees a person in a confessional booth. Thinking it's a priest, the young man kneels down to confess his thoughts. But the person in the confessional is actually a British officer. The officer was hiding there to escape from the rebels. After the young man finishes his confession, the officer reveals himself. He then arrests the young rebel. This sad story is shown in a painting by Canadian artist Charlotte Schreiber. Her painting is called The Croppy Boy (The Confession of an Irish Patriot) and can be seen at the National Gallery of Canada.
