Gibraltar (song)

"Gibraltar" (also known as "Gibraltar Three") is an Irish rebel song about the controversial events on 6 March, 1988 when three Volunteers of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) were shot and killed by the Special Air Service during Operation Flavius in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The three were planning to bomb a military parade but were unarmed at the time they were killed.

Lyrics

The Streets of Gibraltar
"Micky McNally, The Irish Brigade"

:Sad are three homes in Belfast now:Old Ireland shares their sorrow:Mairéad Farrell, Sean Savage and Daniel McCann:They died on the streets of Gibraltar

:They flew out of Belfast with an ambitious plan:To continue the struggle to free Ireland:Mairéad Farrell, Sean Savage and Daniel McCann:But they died on the streets of Gibraltar

:Hidden eyes had been watching, they followed each one:They knew they weren't armed, that none had a gun:We'll give them a warning and no chance to run:For all three must die here on Gibraltar

: [Chorus] :Sad are three homes in Belfast now:Old Ireland shares their sorrow:As they walked in the sun hidden Brits drew their guns:And their blood stained the streets of Gibraltar

:The SAS stood there, so proud of their deed:Three more freedom fighters lay dead in the street:Like those eight Loughall Martyrs, an ambush they did meet:Our gallant three far away in Gibraltar

: [Chorus] :Sad are three homes in Belfast now:Old Ireland shares their sorrow:As they walked in the sun hidden Brits drew their guns:And their blood stained the streets of Gibraltar

:Mairéad while in prison we watched you with pride:True to all you believed in and for this you've died:With two fine volunteers, Dan and Sean at your side:A part of us died in Gibraltar

: [Chorus] :Sad are three homes in Belfast now:Old Ireland shares their sorrow:As they walked in the sun hidden Brits drew their guns:And their blood stained the streets of Gibraltar

:It happens each time that a volunteer dies:They screen out the truth with a cover of lies:But we know what happened although it denied:They planned their deaths on Gibraltar.

: [Chorus] :Sad are three homes in Belfast now:Old Ireland shares their sorrow:As they walked in the sun hidden Brits drew their guns:And their blood stained the streets of Gibraltar

ee also

* Death on the Rock - Wikipedia Article describing a documentary about the shootings.

External Links & Further Reading

* [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/D/htmlD/deathonthe/deathonthe.htm "Death on the Rock"] - documentary about the shootings.
* [http://www.rcgfrfi.easynet.co.uk/larkin_pubs/older/motr/motr_all.htm "Murder on the Rock"] - book about the shootings.
* [http://www.relativesforjustice.com/victims/mairead_farrell.htm Relatives for Justice Site.]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE6DA163FF930A25755C0A96F948260 "New York Times" (June 13, 1989) review of the "Frontline" documentary, "Death of a Terrorist"]