1916 – A Futile Effort Betrayed
Was it for this that Theobald Wolf Tone
Across his own throat drew the blade,
His high ideals for which were fought
Ignored when the Free State made
This land as bad and worse than the Kingdom before it
Where only on paper people had rights
Religions everywhere in an unchristian land
Ripped apart by sectarian fights…
If the men who rose and died in 1916
If those who the Alternative Ulster Covenant signed,
Saw what was to be made, would they still’ve rebelled
Or stayed at home, and let fate to itself be resigned?
Would they’ve donned uniform, turned on good neighbours,
The land issue finally settled, or would they not
Have bothered – for all that changed was a flag –
Would they have bothered firing a shot?”