Let Us Remember This Novemeber

Let Us Remember This Novemeber

A Poem by Tomás Ó Cárthaigh
"

Let us remeber our own heros, as well as the British ones, this November, and never forget, WWI veterans made up the ranks of the Tans who terrorised our little island.

"

This day we all remember
As we are asked to and yet
It seems our own who faught for their own land
We are asked to forget.

Tom Kettle: a hugely popular teacher at UCD

Free Gallant Little Belgium
That raped Africa to the bone
And fight the Kaiser for freedom:
Was Germany to Ireland the Imperial one?

Did Germany let the Irish starve
Force us to speak their tongue
Reduce our people on the social ladder
To be the lowest rung?

Did these men who faught neath the flag
Fight for Ireland in their time?
Or did they stone Sinn Fein offices in Banagher
Saying to fight for freedom was a crime?

Let us remeber OUR HEROS
Who for OUR FREEDOM faught
Remember them, and not forget
Every Irishman ought.

In the pogroms of Ulster
In 1969, it was said
They would not idly stand by:
Words uttered but instead

They DID stand by, and cornerboys
From the Bogside and the Falls
Became men when they took up the gun
For they WERE MEN, with BALLS

And the Free States Plastic Army
Protected no one at all
And the brave hunger strikers
All but criminals them they did call

Atrocities were by our side committed
That I admit and dont deny
But I am proud of ALL the men
Who faught so ur flag on our land can fly.

The men of the Somme faught not for Ireland
But for the Empire they carried the gun
Peasents, it was with shotguns
And cornerboys, our freedom for us won.

© 2008 Tomás Ó Cárthaigh


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Featured Review

the gentil man in the russian hat... he hits it on the head! you indeed have to be irish to appreciate this! what really snared me where the old photos, love them buggers. you don't get to see the personality out of newer things. anr the words were smooth like a lulaby. brilliant job!

bb
windstorm

IRISH PRIDE FOR EVER!

Posted 16 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.




Reviews

Gosh... you know, I always embrace my mom's warrior roots in Scotland... forgetting that both her and dad's family came from Northern Ireland. Well... I don't always forget. There was a time when I was reading the Irish news regularly... but that was some time ago. I even got to see Sinn Fien's leader speak in NYC once, it was amazing and fascinating. It's utterly sad and disgusting that we're still fighting over land to this day. Give Ireland back to Ireland.... and live and let live. When I think of vets... I think of young boys becoming broken men... warriors in their own right, yet treated like peasants when the fighting is done. I think the most depressing place I've ever been is a VA hospital. Our heroes... left to rot. It's a f*****g sin. Thanks for speaking up.... I remember when my Communications teacher said "one man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist"... and the knowing I felt in my gut when he did. Let freedom reign!!!

Posted 15 Years Ago


all this power, all this striving for importance through the centuries... is so wrong. why to get involved? history is written by heroes and when I look back, I don't see love, I see slaughtery and meaningfullness. I think, all this pride in humanity ... is senseseslessness. we forget to see love for each other. I am hopeless with thish world.

Posted 15 Years Ago


well I am a generic, spoiled, overfed american but this is brilliant writing as always.

Posted 15 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

Indeed you would have to be Irish to appreciate this piece, and no offense is intended to those from the other side, its just how the media in my country make my blood boil by tarnishing the memory of those who did fight for our country, Irish AND English, Catholic and Protestant, while celebrating those who faught for Empire...

Posted 16 Years Ago


the gentil man in the russian hat... he hits it on the head! you indeed have to be irish to appreciate this! what really snared me where the old photos, love them buggers. you don't get to see the personality out of newer things. anr the words were smooth like a lulaby. brilliant job!

bb
windstorm

IRISH PRIDE FOR EVER!

Posted 16 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

You would have to be Irish to appreciate this.

Posted 16 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.


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Added on November 12, 2008

Author

Tomás Ó Cárthaigh
Tomás Ó Cárthaigh

Renmore, Galway, Ireland, An Roinne Mór, Gallaimh, Eire, Ireland



About
Ten years on this site... a quick decade, and an age in another way... Flanagan and the Lampost The Novena, some Drama and Midge Ure in Galway Fiddling at Longford Donkey Innovat.. more..

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