The Irish rebel – honderd jaar 1916…

Vandaag is het honderd jaar geleden dat de opstand in Dublin uitbrak, de Paasopstand van 1916, bloedig neergeslagen door de Britse bezetters. Ter afsluiting van de gedenkreeks van de afgelopen maand eerst The Irish rebel over James Connolly, de socialistische voorman van de opstand.

A great crowd had gathered outside of Kilmainham,
With their heads uncovered they knelt on the ground,
For behind that grim prison lay a brave Irish Soldier,
His life for his Country about to lay down,

He went to his death like a true son of Ireland,
The firing party he bravely did face,
Then the order rang out: “Present arms, fire,”
James Connolly fell into a ready made grave.

The black flag was hoisted, their cruel deed was over,
Gone was a man who loved Ireland so well,
There was many a sad heart in Dublin that morning,
When they murdered James Connolly, the Irish Rebel.

Many years have rolled on since that Easter rebellion,
When the guns of Britannia they loudly did speak.
And our bold Irish soldiers fought shoulder to shoulder
And the blood from their bodies flowed down Sackville Street

The Four Courts of Dublin the enemy bombarded,
Their spirit of freedom they tried hard to quell,
When above all the noise came a voice “No Surrender”,
‘T was the voice of James Connolly, the Irish Rebel.

Margo O’Donnell

Ronnie Drew reciteert The rebel, een gedicht van Pádraig Pearse, een van de revolutionairen van 1916