Dancing at the Crossroads (formerly Boolavogue): Written by Paul Bell and Brendan Wade (of The Wild Swans) in 1995–1996. A celebratory hurling anthem anticipating (and later commemorating) Wexford’s 1996 All-Ireland victory; it topped the Irish charts. The more traditional anthem, Boolavogue is an older 1798 rebellion song by P.J. McCall.
Well I remember as a young boy
The beginning of September
We were standing at the station
Waiting for a train.
There was priests and Christian brothers
There was nuns and reverend mothers
There was guards and drunks and others
But everyone was just the same
Well they came from Enniscorthy
From New Ross and Ferns and Gorey
There was busses from Bunclody
There was horses, carts and all
And when they stepped out on the platform
They were shouting and screaming
And as they carried Larry Murphy
He looked twenty-five feet tall
So what’s the story Martin Storey
Now Wexford’s really bound for glory
And when at last the cup was lifted
They said we brought it home for you
Chorus
We were dancing at the crossroads,
In the shadow of a bonfire
Underneath the silver moon light
We were singing until dawn,
We were dancing at the crossroads,
With the poteen and the porter,
Dancing jigs and reels and polkas
Until the early morn –
In every bar down on the main street
They were hanging from the rafters
And they sang the boys of Wexford
Like it was going out of style
All the bingo halls were empty
And all the Masses finished early
Sure no one ever saw the likes of
Since the time of JFK
And when we look at young Ogorman
And through the mid field he was storming
And then the Cusack Stand erupted
When he scored from 60 yards
Chorus
And I think of George O’Connor
So many said he was a goner
But when he stood up in the Hogan
I even saw an old man cry
Damian Fitzhenry, Ger Cush, Sean Flood,
Rod Guiney , Liam Dunn,
Colm Kehoe, Billy Byrne,
Martin Storey John OConner,
Tom Dempsey, George O’Connor,
Adrian Fenlon and
Larry O’Gorman,
Rory McCarthy, Larry Murphy, Garry Laffan,
Eamon Scallan ,Dave Guiney ,
Declan Ruth, Jim Byrne,
Shean Carley, Paul Finn,
Tom Kehoe, are the team,
and the man that dared to dream his
name was Liam Griffin
Seamus Kavanagh, Joe Kerns, MJ Reck
and all the rest the brave young men of 96
will be remembered with the best
Rackard, Quickley, Wheeler, Doran,
Buggy, Murphy, Nolan, Flood
And the names I can’t recall
Wexford heroes one and all
Boolavogue
At Boolavogue, as the sun was setting
O’er the bright May meadows of Shelmalier
A rebel hand set the heather blazing
And brought the neighbours from far and near
Then Father Murphy, from old Kilcormack
Spurred up the rock with a warning cry:
“Arm! Arm!” he cried, “for I’ve come to lead you
For Ireland’s freedom we’ll fight or die”
He led us on ‘gainst the coming soldiers
And the cowardly Yeomen we put to flight
‘Twas at the Harrow the boys of Wexford
Showed Bookey’s Regiment how men could fight
Look out for hirelings, King George of England
Search ev’ry kingdom, where breathes a slave
For Father Murphy from the County Wexford
Sweeps o’er the land like a mighty wave
At Vinegar Hill, o’er the pleasant Slaney
Our heroes bravely stood back-to-back
And the Yeos at Tullow took Father Murphy
And burned his body upon the rack
God grant you glory, brave Father Murphy
And open Heaven to all your men
For the cause that called you may call tomorrow
In another fight for the Green again
Anthem of the county
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
Songs from the county
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
County Wexford:
Ireland’s county Wexford combines coastal beauty with historic sites, with the Hook Lighthouse, one of the world’s oldest, offering scenic coastal views. The Irish National Heritage Park recreates ancient and medieval settlements, while Wexford’s beaches, like Curracloe, provide sandy shores for walking. Other attractions include the historic town of Enniscorthy and its castle. Wexford is Ireland’s 13th largest county by size (2,351 square km) and 14th largest by population (163,919). Population peaked at 202,033 in 1841 and reached its lowest point, 83,308 in 1961. In terms of hospitality, Wexford is Ireland’s eighth most visited tourist county with around 229,000 international visitors per year.
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