Wolfe Tones - Flight of Earls

I recorded the Wolfe Tones singing the Flight of Earls on The Late Late Show, RTE.The song is from their Album Sing Out For Ireland, 1987, the song was written by Liam Reilly of Bagatelle fame.
Flight Of Earls.
I can hear the bells of Dublin
In this lonely waiting room
And the paperboys are singing' in the rain
Not too long before they take us
To the airport and the noise
To get on board a transatlantic plane.
We've got nothin' left to stay for
We have no more left to say
And there isn't any work for us to do
So farewell, you boys and girls
Another bloody Flight of Earls
Our best asset is our best export, too.
It's not murder, fear or famine
That makes us leave this time
We're not going to
Join McAlpine's Fusiliers
We've got brains, and we've got vision
We've got education, too
But we just can't throw
Away these precious years.
So we walk the streets of London
And the streets of Baltimore
And we meet at night in several Boston bars
We're the leaders of the future
But we're far away from home
And we dream of you beneath the Irish stars.
So switch off your new computers
'Cause the writing's on the wall
We're leaving as our fathers did before
Take a look at Dublin Airport
Or the boat that leaves North Wall
There'll be no Youth Unemployment anymore
Because we're over here in Queensland
And in parts of New South Wales
We're on the seas and airways and the trains
And if we see better days
Those big airplanes go both ways
And we'll all be coming home to you again.

[@nicoleflynn1296]

amazing song im an irish girl out and out i live in dublin and between the wolfetones, the dubliners, the dublin city ramblers and the furrey brothers i was brought up with theses my ma and da blaring them i am singing them since i can remember brings back loads of memories with my dear mam whom i miss dearly. x up the irish

[@ballztodawallz8713]

God bless u wee yin☘🍀💚

[@sheenawellington4811]

Sad to hear of the death of Liam Reilly who wrote this fine song and many others.

[@thomasoloughlin9075]

The genius of Liam Reilly a masterclass from the Wolf Tones.

[@WhenNYWasIrish]

One of the all-time great bands! Timeless..

[@Immigant09]

Living in Canada, this song brings me back to Saturday mornings back home at the kitchen table for the fry.

[@brianclarke61993]

Thomas Duffy Agree with you, can't beat a bit of Wolfe tones or the great Luke RIP

[@MrGaberlunzie1]

I'd kiss the ground Luke walked on. One of my favourite writers is Scotland's Ewan Mc Coll and Nobody sings his songs better than LUKE.

[@caroleclarke1117]

Liam Reilly is a genius the lyrics of this song are as brilliant as any of our greatest poets in history.Truly heartbreaking stuff

[@mohigney1]

im came to england as a kid ..still here building the place !!!

[@brianclarke61993]

Great song by a great band . Proud to be Irish

[@barrymckenzie3361]

Absolutely fantastic tune this was getting belted out on our supporters bus yesterday after the celtic game

[@gerarddonovan8678]

Brilliant

[@johnrshelley]

@RinceBox I left Ireland in 1986 came home in 1994. My father left Ireland in 1950's came home in the 70's. YES it is going to happen again :(

[@jackielawrence5920]

it amazing its as true now as it was in the 80s, it really strikes a cord.

[@Tamita83]

My Dad loved this song.

[@bigstones5710]

Rip liam

[@mememe535]

Lovely song but leaves a lump in my throat. So many of us have found ourselves in this situation recently and had to leave the land and people we love for work... Better times ahead hopefully.

[@Fioneenacockeen]

Great stuff,,thanks for posting this

[@johnfinbarburke]

love this

[@dmcpromotions]

Not just the best rebel band ever, the best band ever!

[@waynefox7459]

Tommy Byrne, what a singer

[@edejan]

Sad song, well named.

[@jimdoyles]

great stuff

[@lrishRebeI]

Ace song, i love to a bits. 5*****

[@nigelmurray5872]

This song is ok for me

[@johnrshelley]

dugsie, Unfortunately you are right. Things are going bad here again. I will not be going this time. Married and settled. Have to hope I will still have work and will get through. Best of luck whatever you do or wherever you go

[@ardeestephen100]

We had a boom for the last 14 years. Nobody needed to leave. Now there's no work, looks like people will be leaving again

[@dripsey3]

I remember the 80s. I hope we don't see mass emigration like we did back then. I remember 4 people leaving my village to go the US, they haven't returned since. This song reminds me of them.

[@blahblahblah85]

What about the convicts 2 Australia-they never got back and their decendants talk proudly of their irish heratige. In 1830 one third of ozzees were of irish decent.

[@FutureMcGinty]

I know I'm gonna come off as stupid, but they look so young

[@nigelmurray5872]

This song is ok

[@bedoboy]

Have never seen this as I was only wee and not the super fan I am now, miss Derek for his music skills, not his talking skills on stage, just sing the song. LOL

[@stebo_02]

whos watching this in 2019?

[@angelambarry]

Watching in Oct 2023! 👏

[@martinwyatt6390]

2024 Cardiff Wales

[@Seamus616]

That only happend in the past 10/15 years. up to the 80s the irish were forced to leave thier country.

[@michaelmurphy2817]

8

[@spntobg19]

this was song about the 80's in ireland when the country had no jobs or infrastructure, so its about history just like that song "britannia rules the waves" couldnt fuckin rule a football match.... chancers????

[@MrMarch2005]

too bad they didnt all stay together

[@clare2566]

my nan likes it lol

[@angryadams]

@CredoCatholicJournal Not many other options unfortunately.

[@cinder13]

the lines we have brainsetc does that meanthe ones that left earlier had none.we endeuer a lot more than hardship. we made it easy for ye.so remember us when ye come here

[@susangallagher6511]

i went to see them in essex and got threw out before they started. Gutted.

[@NSResponder]

AARGH! I hate it when KZbin botches the video like this. Great song, though. -jcr

[@colinmcdonald8521]

We should have built James Connolly's republic, not De Valera's and certainly not the PDs' and the Blueshirts'. We would have built a country fit for its people to live in, and we still could. Down with our masters!

[@MrGaberlunzie1]

De Valera was the worst thing to come out of the struggles. May he rot in hell for holding Ireland back!

[@fer283]

frank Carolan stupid!

[@AranGalactico]

Are you serious? 'expected', dont you mean 'accepted'? Jesus, I hope you dont have an important job, its no wonder our country is in a shit if people cant spell basic words like that.

[@mememe535]

Lovely song but leaves a lump in my throat. So many of us have found ourselves in this situation recently and had to leave the land and people we love for work... Better times ahead hopefully.

[@gort9374]

Better times ahead, lad I got something to tell you, make bars illegal to eat, you'll thank me later

[@dmcpromotions]

The best band ever bar none. No one to touch the mighty Wolfe Tones! And they are still packing out venues around the world after almost 45 years!!! Unreal...don't listen to the media in RTE or Irish newspapers, The Wolfe Tones are Ireland's most popular group.

[@NoelCunningham-w1c]

The Wonderful Wolf Tones, singing great Irish ballads.

[@vix121]

I was 11 when i left Ireland 18 years ago. I can you all someting, you and take the man out of the country but you can't take the country out of the man

[@HelenSSpencer77]

Another great one from machree01! What would we do without you. This is amazing. Keep 'em coming...please!

[@freddingo8135]

My dad left Ireland in 1972 and never returned

[@thomasthetiger]

Eastern Germany sharing the destiny of the Irish since 20 years - we export our best too. But the Irish will come back once to their native land. It will not happen to us.

[@eddiebarr99]

A real shame the flight of the Irish is once again with us.But when people get too greedy and price themselves out of work,it can only end one way...

[@peaderod]

Left Ireland 2 years ago. In Alberta Canada now. Hopefully that plane will be going back again some day, but not for a few more years I think.

[@dev1lsbit]

I'd love to know how you got on.

[@Nathan-28]

Liam Byrne same

[@donaldmacdonald719]

Magic songs so many happy memories 🍀

[@annemarieoleary2463]

Great song proud to be lrish x

[@rebel3redz]

best irish band evr!!!!!!

[@johnrshelley]

I was one of the earls referred to ('86-'94). Thankfully I'm home now. Song sums it everything I felt and went through

[@graw6257]

Love any song with the word QUEENSLAND!!!

[@coletteconroy]

brilliant just briiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliant :D

[@cfc07]

there you'll never beat the irish album is mostly new material and also there troubles album contains alot of new material inculding lament for the lost,song of partition,tyrone,fermangh and this is the day and also quite a few songs that they never recorded songs like the patroit game,bloody sunday,go on home,danny boy,star of the county down,green glens of antrim, county of aramgh and the orange and the green, so they have produced alot of new material in the last few years

[@Gumsheils]

Thank God I'm Catholic,from Ulster and Irish.

[@colinmcdonald8521]

Religion, Cath or Prod, held Ireland back for too long. Forward all 32 Counties, into the light, as one Republic alongside our EU comrades - TaL!

[@walterknutsen6514]

Tough

[@johnrshelley]

I was an "Earl" in 1986. Came home in 1994. In 2010 the "Earls" will be leaving again and for many years to come :(

[@breandank3026]

family came/ exiled to America through the flight of the earls. But still have family in Éire

[@johnrshelley]

oxfordeddie, in the light of your comment 5 months ago, now eat your words !

[@Corfine]

Very good sham the business

[@Pixielan3]

Thus Na Fianna, nothings changed.

[@FutureMcGinty]

told u i'd sound stupid

[@ballztodawallz8713]

One of mh favourites.. outstanding🍀☘