Annotation:Battle of Cremona (The)

Back to Battle of Cremona (The)

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BATTLE OF CREMONA, THE. AKA and see "Fearless Boys (The)," "Lea Rig (The)." Irish, March. Standard tuning. At the Battle of Cremona in 1702 the píob mhór of the Irish Brigade was heard to play this older air during their struggle against the Germans. Afterwards the tune was only known by this name (Collinson, 1975). The hero of the battle was Count Daniel O'Mahoney, an exiled Stuart supporter originally from County Kerry, whose daughter married Richard Cantillon (for more on whom see note for "Lamentation of Richard Cantillon"). O'Mahoney was in command of a battalion from the Dillon regiment (in the service of Louis XIV) when the French at Cremona were surprised in their sleep by the Austrians under Prince Eugene. After nearly being overtaken, the French forces, given time to regroup by a gallant stand by the Irish, drove out the Imperial troops. The Irish Brigade played the melody again (along with "St. Patrick's Day in the Morning" and "White Cockade (1)") in 1745 at the Battle of Fontenoy when, again as part of the French forces, they fought the English.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland), 1974, vol. 1, No. 81.

Recorded sources:

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