Saturday, 30 April 2016

Poem ~ The Rise Of Ireland: An Exhausted Rebellion - Sunday, 30 April 1916

Source: File: The Easter Rising 1916 (real footage of aftermath). [online]: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cew_ZLgi3Cc> (PD-US) [Accessed: 30 April 2016]

Impression sketch Nurse Elizabeth O'Farrell. [online] See original image at: <http://www.thejournal.ie/eirebrushed-play-1428985-Apr2014/> [Accessed: 30 April 2016]

Sunday - Surrender with Hope

From radical nationalist efforts
Dublin city centre
Lay in ruins - beaten to rubble
By the British army.
As the sun rose on Sunday
30 April 1916,
Citizens emerged, sifting debris.

Yet events of past few days were
Not fully concluded;
3rd Battalion of Irish Volunteers
Maintained strongholds.
South of the city beyond Brunswick
Street barricades,
Two lone priests set out on a walk.

Capuchin Priests becoming involved
With the surrender,
Convey a signed order by Pearse,
Walking to Jacobs factory -
A third priest carries same to rebels
On Brunswick Street;
Holohan tells his men he'd rather die.

But the group of 50 begins a march at
10 a.m. North King Street.
Nurse O'Farrell meets rebels at Bollards
Bakery, but De Valera
Replies, 'order has no weight' - efforts
By priests end by MacDonagh
Agreeing to speak to General Lowe.

Past midday the Irish Citizen army
Finally surrenders -
While talks go on between sides
Some rebels are still
Defiant - Lowe and MacDonagh
Meet the priests,
Who are told of a truce till 3 p.m.

MacDonagh informs his Battalion
Of intended surrender -
'We will fight it out!' shout some,
But to no avail - those
Not in uniform can flee if they so wish -
Nurse Elizabeth O'Farrell,
Though exhausted, keeps her mission.

Other holdouts receive this news,
To smash guns in anger -
Others stayed as snipers on rooftops.
On the ground MacDonagh
Hands his revolver to General Lowe.
The afternoon wears on,
With emerging garrisons marching.

Exhausted and hungry they are
Met by varied reactions.
Respect equaled by threatening
Behaviours, from citizens
And Army alike - volunteers pass
Gate of St Patrick's Park -
Crowds of eyes turn to consider them.

The day has reached mid afternoon,
As Irish Battalions
March from their fortresses, onto
Streets and captivity -
Among the ranks remained disbelief,
But weary from
A week long fight, most comply.

Time slowly turns to evening - for
The 3rd Battalion
Is led from Bolands Bakery by
O'Connor, met
By infantry described as, 'baying
For blood' - a mood
Lifts as Canal Street crowds cheer.

A great mix of emotions continues
As guns are laid down
In Grattan Street - the remaining
Leaders watch men
Put down their arms - the pavement
Covered in weapons,
O'Connor steps forward with his sword.

This had been given to him on Good
Friday as mark
Of the men's respect - O'Connor returns
The respect, placing
The sword to rest atop of the guns;
In a fight for a republic,
These Irish men faced a future unknown.

by Jamie Mann.

Source: File: The Irish Times: An Easter Rising timeline: Sunday, April 30th, 1916, 1916. Online. Available at: <http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/an-easter-rising-timeline-sunday-april-30th-1916-1.2194023> [Accessed 30 April 2016]

Source: File: Easter Rising 1916: Six days of armed struggle that changed Irish and British history. Online. Available at: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-35873316> [Accessed 30 April 2016]

Source: File: Easter Rising From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Online. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Rising> [Accessed 30 April 2016]

Source: File: Easter Rising. Online. Available at: <http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/easter-rising> [Accessed 30 April 2016]

Source: File: The 1916 Easter Rising. Online. Available at: <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/ireland-1845-to-1922/the-1916-easter-rising/> [Accessed 30 April 2016]

Source: File: The Battle for the South Dublin Union 1916 by Paul O'Brien Author, Irish Military Historian. Online. Available at: <http://www.paulobrienauthor.ie/436-2/> [Accessed 30 April 2016]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 29 April 2016). 


#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Ireland

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