"Johnston's Motor Car" is an Irish rebel song written by Willie Gillespie based on the commandeering in Ulster of a motor car belonging to Dr. Henry Maturin Johnston (1851–1932) by the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

History

The song is based on a real event in April 1921. An Irish Republican Army unit needed transport to a town over fifty miles away, but had no car to carry them. They decided to call out Henry M. Johnston, a doctor based in Stranorlar, and then ambush him and his car at a bridge and commandeer the car for the IRA. Johnston was sent a telegraph asking him to attend to a Mrs Boyle. On his way there, he found the Reelin Bridge in Glenfin barricaded by the IRA, who forced him to give them his car. In 2019, retired Ballybofey businessman Cathal McHugh claimed to have found what he believes to be the remnants of the vehicle under a turf stack in County Donegal.

Composition

William Gillespie, a poet from Ballybofey, wrote the song shortly after the event. The song was very popular in Ireland in the 1920s before being rediscovered and covered by bands including The Dubliners and Flying Column, although the more modern versions have slightly different lyrics; Johnston is often replaced with Johnson as well, as in the Clancy Brothers version.

Original Lyrics

Popular Lyrics

Recordings