"The Broad Black Brimmer" is an

Irish Republican Irish republicanism ( ga, poblachtánachas Éireannach) is the political movement for the unity and independence of Ireland under a republic. Irish republicans view British rule in any part of Ireland as inherently illegitimate. The develop ...

folk song written by Art McMillen. The song narrates the story of a boy whose father died before he was born, fighting in the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The narrator is asked by his mother to try on his father's old uniform and as he does so, she tells his father's story. The title refers to the wide brimmed hat worn by many IRA guerrillas in the 1920s

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence () or Anglo-Irish War was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and British forces: the British Army, along with the quasi-mil ...

and

Irish Civil War The Irish Civil War ( ga, Cogadh Cathartha na hÉireann; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United ...

. Also referenced are a Sam Browne belt, britches, a trench coat and a

holster A handgun holster is a device used to hold or restrict the undesired movement of a handgun, most commonly in a location where it can be easily withdrawn for immediate use. Holsters are often attached to a belt or waistband, but they may be att ...

– items of equipment commonly associated with the IRA of that era. The theme of the song is Republican "unfinished business" from the 1920s – the cause of the dead father is passed on to his son. This is specifically related to the

of 1922 and to the subsequent IRA, which refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of either the Irish Free State or Northern Ireland states created at that time. Shortly after the narrator's father marries his mother comes the "

truce A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...

and Treaty and the parting of the ways" (split in the IRA). The father is killed fighting on the anti-treaty side. Each chorus emphasises that although his holster has been, "empty for many a year"... "when men claim Ireland's freedom, the ones they'll choose to lead 'em will wear the broad black brimmer of the IRA". Moreover, at the line about holster being empty, the line "but not for long" is added in the original version, but many covers (e.g. by Brier) omit this line. Because it specifically takes the Republican view of the Civil War and looks forward to a resumption of armed actions and to an Ireland led by the IRA, the song is associated with physical force Irish republicanism. It is often sung at Republican gatherings. Another notable aspect of the song is its reference to Christianity. When the narrator's parents are married it is in the "little church below" and "Father Mac he blessed the pair as one". The explicit reference to religion is relatively rare in republican songs. Some sources wrongly claim that it was written by

Noel Nagle The Wolfe Tones are an Irish rebel music band that incorporate Irish traditional music in their songs. Formed in 1963, they take their name from Theobald Wolfe Tone, one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, with the double meaning of ...

of the Wolfe Tones. Although performed by The Wolfe Tones in 1973 it had been released the year before by Declan Hunt on the Outlet subsidiary label R & O (Release & Outlet). It was credited to Art McMillan and even the Wolfe Tones did not claim to have written it giving it a "Trad. Arr." credit on their single Dolphin DOS.112.

References

External links

Lyrics
at celtic-lyrics.com

and chords at irish-folk-songs.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Broad Black Brimmer Irish folk songs Irish rebel songs Political party songs 20th-century songs Year of song missing