in our army we' re the best, from the north, south, east, or west;
in our army we' re the best, from the north, south, east, or west;
 the best of boys at following the drum.
 we' re mighty hard to beat, I can say without conceit;
 faith, the enemy are welcome when they come! be they russians, french, or dutch, sure it doesn't matter much;
 we' re the boys to give them sugar in their tea;
 for we' re the connaught rangers, the boys who fear no danger;
 faugh a ballauch, faugh a ballauch, clear the way! chorus you may talk about your guards, boys, the lancers and hussars you may talk about your royal artillery (without their guns!) the girls, we drive them crazy, the foe we beat them easy! the rangers from old connaught, yah! the land across the sea.
 'twas bounaparte who said, as the frenchmen on he lead;
 "marsal soult, are them the rangers do you know?'
 'faith' says soult, 'there's no mistake, to our hells we better take;
 I think it's timefor you and I to go!' when the colleens hear our step, it makestheir hearts to leap, 'arah jewels, will you wish to patricks day?'
 for we' re the connaught rangers,the boys who fear no danger, the rangers from old connaught yah! the land across the sea! now you haven't far to search, for the boys who best can march;
 the lads who fear the longest day;
 as you easily will know, their dashingstep will show;
 'tis the connaught boys who always lead the way.
 if my words perhaps you doubt, go and join us on a route;
 I'm thinking you' ll not find it such a treat.
 you will see them in the van, you can catch them ifyou can;
 faith you' ll have to travel fast, or you' ll be late! ----------------------------------------------------- prior to 1922 there were 22 regiments from ireland in the british army;
 afterwards, only 2, the irish guards and the royal irish rifles.
 the connaught rangers were formed in the 1760's following the success of the american rogers rangers during the french and indian wars/7 years war.
 this song was sung from the napoleonic wars to wwi, verses added as appropriate;
 I have not found any veterans of this unit, or the rir, who remember having sung this song.
 I first heard this song on a composite album called 'songs of the redcoats',
and have heard, but not recorded, jimmy duffy ( junior, son of jimmy duffy of stanthorpe), itinerant, singing this song in the '80' s.
 the rangers, and all rifle units ("sharpes rifle' s", bernard cornwell) were used as scouts, and skirmishers for the line of battle.
 the connaught rangers were to attack the boer flank across a ford at the battle of modder river, dec.
 1899, but were trapped, surrounded by boers on three sides and slaughtered.
 the nsw lancers, about 20 men, had advised gen buller of a crossable ford, but was ignored;
 the lancers attacked the boer flank, turning and breaking their line, and causing them to retreat to magersfontein-buller refused to support the lancers atack!