Poem ~ Flags For Irish Sons - Sunday, 19 March 1916

Impression sketch of Ireland Flag Day Fundraising Pin Badge - by Jamie. An original image can be seen at: <http://www.britishmilitarybadges.co.uk/product/k1b-95-ww1-irish-soldiers-ireland-flag-day-fundraising-pin-badge/> [Accessed: 19 March 2016]

           

Coinciding on a day of celebration,

17 March 1916 saw Irish Flag Day,

Stand alongside the feast of Saint

Patrick - A woman led organisation

Saw the distribution of the green

Flag as a national commemoration,

For soldiers from a sister nation.

A green flag with harp was distributed,

To be sold by the metropolis ladies,

To number 3000 - Trafalgar Square

Filled with singing strains of 'Wearin'

Of the Green' - alongside these flags

The traditional shamrock was worn,

In English appreciation of Irish troops.

Across the water to that true emerald

Isle, laid the heart of the festival day  -

The start being a man of Roman times.

As a youth kidnapped to Gaelic lands

To be slave for Irish raiders - eventually

To find god who led him to the coast,

Where a boat would guide him home.

With his faith found, Patrick became

A priest and with his love for Ireland

Returned, to convert many people

To Christianity - by teaching methods    

He likely utilised a three-leaved plant,

To explain the holy trinity - a common

Shamrock became Patrick's symbol.

Centuries later saw 1541 make unity

Of Personal Union, when kingdom

Came the English King of Ireland -

But lack of reform to break minority

Rule of Anglo-Irish, led to United

Irishman rebellion 1798 - a crushed

Uprising made a 1800 Act of Union.

Yet a protestant parliament of Ireland

Was a false representation of people,

Whose majority had held catholic

Discontent - quickly founded as

Oppositions manifested in various

Forms, to seek independent Ireland -

100 years on saw further changes.

From emerging various groups that

Came by 1905, Sinn Fein for an Irish

Nation, in confronting the illegality

Of 1800 act of Union - a Parliament

For the Irish allowed only land owners

To vote and Protestants to sit within -

Challenges emerged by varied leagues.

Standing by each other, men of Ireland

Joined the cause, to fight against

Germans invaders or European peace -

Irish regiments filled with volunteers,

All gave the impression of union

Solidity - across waters from different

Dominions perhaps to mirror Australia.

Friday 17 March 1915 and Politician

Andrew Fisher, High Commissioner

For Australia, made a speech at London

Irish Club - a government leader over

Three occasions for his country,

Fisher expressed sympathy for the Irish

Who were among best of Dominions.

Among his underlying words Fisher

believed how Ireland, with deep roots

Of national sentiment, would find full

Free expression, on a day not long

Away - that they shall show enemies

how freedom and liberty to manage

Own affairs, should be greater than life.

To repeated cheers Fisher made

Feelings known that across world,

Ireland not just spoke but acted -

How, whatever might be done

Or not done, Ireland would remain

And stand true to the crisis end -

Yet what enemy was suggested?

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Mr Fisher on Irish Loyalty. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 18 March 1916. P.11. Col.3. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12196041/Daily-Telegraph-March-18-1916.html [Accessed: 19 March 2016].

Anon.,1916. Irish Flag Day. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 18 March 1916. P.12. Col.7. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12196041/Daily-Telegraph-March-18-1916.html [Accessed: 19 March 2016].

Source: File: Saint Patrick's Day. Online. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick's_Day> Accessed 19 March 2016

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 19 March 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12196041/Daily-Telegraph-March-18-1916.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

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

Poem ~ Canada & Irish Loyalty – Wednesday, 16 September 1914

The Canadian cultural city of Montreal,

Described as a cosmopolitan place,

Was the host, on Monday past,

For day one of a week’s campaign,

To raise a up to a million dollars.

The purpose being of this patriotic fund,

Is the caring for dependents

Of Canadian men - currently volunteering,

For war in Europe –

Both home and abroad, this movement

Is held up as an illustration,

To show how Canadian people,

Are doing their duty.

The President of the Canadian Pacific,

Sir Thomas Shaughnessy,

Proudly presided over the Luncheon,

Of this fund’s opening day.

Along with the head

Of Canada’s, Roman Catholic Church,

The prelate Archbishop Bruchesi.

Standing as the main speaker,

He informed all attendees

Of current successes of Allied forces.

Such news raised determined

Enthusiasm, to support the British

Empire - to the end.

Whether the campaign is to be

Long or short, Canada will provide,

Both money and men –

But adding, it would be unlikely,

That a second army contingent,

Will be required of Canada – Yet if a call

From Britain comes, for 75,000

More men, the response will be,

No doubt as eager as before.

The Archbishop states in equal stance,

Declaring, that whatever race,

All Canadians owed their loyal support,

To Great Britain, in the struggle

For world liberty. And in so doing,

The Archbishop pledged 1000 dollars

Of his own monies to the fund.

Upon that evening of this same Monday,

Members of Montreal’s Irish people,

Gathered together, to stand

At the United Irish League,

To endorse Mr John Redmond’s stand,

That all Irish men. must

Rally to the Empire’s support.

The Vice President Of the League,

C.F. Doherty, addressed the assembled,

To urge all Irishmen,

Across the world, to support

Great Britain in the war's just cause.

By this very act would be erased

Any English suspicion of Irish Loyalty.

In a show of resolution,

The Irish Leaguers started to sing;

‘God Save the King.’

The singing reported as enthusiastic.

The contingent of Canadian troops,

At Valcartier Camp are proceeding

With all preparations... (Pause-

For the mark of a censor’s excision).

The Duke of Connaught has reviewed.

The 30,000 strong Canadian men,

Who proudly presented themselves

As business like - ready for service,

And perhaps like mustard -

Keen to get to the European fight.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. Canada’s Loyalty-‘To the End’. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 16 Sept. p.4. Col.6. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11077911/Daily-Telegraph-September-16-1914.html [Accessed: 16th September 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 16 September 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11077911/Daily-Telegraph-September-16-1914.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered