Dropkick Murphy's version of this song on their new album is far, far better done than this one is, although this one isn`t terrible.
it's about the 'famine', or more accurately, the 'forced starvation of the Irish by the British' in the late 1840's. Athenry is in Ireland, Botany Bay was a British prison colony in Australia at the time. the British were keeping food from the Irish while their potato crops failed, starving them. the Michael in the song attempted to steal some of the corn that was plentiful but not to be provided to the Irish, got caught and got sent to Australia for punishment.
Dropkick Murphy's version of this song on their new album is far, far better done than this one is, although this one isn`t terrible.
it's about the 'famine', or more accurately, the 'forced starvation of the Irish by the British' in the late 1840's. Athenry is in Ireland, Botany Bay was a British prison colony in Australia at the time. the British were keeping food from the Irish while their potato crops failed, starving them. the Michael in the song attempted to steal some of the corn that was plentiful but not to be provided to the Irish, got caught and got sent to Australia for punishment.