{"id":5239,"date":"2024-04-21T04:06:47","date_gmt":"2024-04-21T03:06:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/?p=5239"},"modified":"2024-04-21T04:06:48","modified_gmt":"2024-04-21T03:06:48","slug":"who-are-we-going-to-fight-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/who-are-we-going-to-fight-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Are We Going to Fight Now"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Our home place in Aughagreagh, North Longford. When the Tans never attacked, yet still the Free State army did during the Irish Civil War as if you were not with them, you were against them.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As the British left, one man in jest
\nAsked “Who will we fight now”,
\nAll too soon was clear as many did fear
\nIt was a matter of when and how:<\/p>\n

For how could any man since the fight began
\nSee his island cleft in twain
\nNot with rage choke that the imperial yoke
\nOn the North East did remain…<\/p>\n

Bad things were done by those who lost and won
\n– Which was which history will decide –
\nBut the Black and Tan brigade, for all the horrors they made
\nNever to attack our family farm ever tried.<\/p>\n

The Free Stater’s shot, it has not been forgot
\nAt our home where my aunt then as a child did play
\nBullets whizzed her feet around the street (1)
\nOf our home at Aughagreagh.<\/p>\n

By my aunt was told when she was old
\nAs we were Neutral IRA
\nLoyal to the Republics flag flown, but Sean Mac Eoin
\nHad fought for the right to be wrong, my grandfather did say.<\/p>\n

Glossary:<\/p>\n

(1) street<\/em> is the back of the house, the yard is the front!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Battle<\/a>
Battle of Clonfin as told by Auxilary officer Thomas Jocelyn Wilford<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the British left, one man in jest Asked “Who will we fight now”, All too soon was clear as many did fear It was a matter of when and how: For how could any man since the fight began See his island cleft in twain Not with rage choke …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[22,37,23],"tags":[4533,3434,190,1313,4534,38],"class_list":["post-5239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-family-stories","category-irish-war-of-independence-1919-1921","category-north-longford","tag-auxilary-division","tag-clonfin-ambush","tag-irish-civil-war-2","tag-ric","tag-royal-irish-constabulary","tag-sean-mac-eoin","column","twocol"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7EI4f-1mv","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4928,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/the-ambush-at-clonfin\/","url_meta":{"origin":5239,"position":0},"title":"The Ambush at Clonfin","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"7th February 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Man for man, and gun for gun, Mere peasants stood to the test, With faith in God and their fellow man, They fought, and came out best Against troops of experience, battle hardened, For whom it was a job to do The then latest chapter in Irelands struggle... If all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Irish War of Independence 1919- 1921"","block_context":{"text":"Irish War of Independence 1919- 1921","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/irelands-wars\/irish-war-of-independence-1919-1921\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.celtichosting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/The-North-Longford-Flying-Column.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.celtichosting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/The-North-Longford-Flying-Column.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.celtichosting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/The-North-Longford-Flying-Column.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.celtichosting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/The-North-Longford-Flying-Column.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":105,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/he-lost-her-that-he-desired\/","url_meta":{"origin":5239,"position":1},"title":"He Lost Her That He Desired","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"19th June 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"He lost her, that he desired, A love that was not to be, Her\u2026 she married another, That she loved more, though she loved he. The night before her wedding, To elope with her he did plead, But she loved McGovern more than he And she would not do the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Irish Civil War"","block_context":{"text":"Irish Civil War","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/irish-civil-war\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Michael Collins love for Kitty Kiernan is well known, as played by Julia Roberts in the film, Kitty was but the second of the Kiernan girls Michael Collins fell in love with, losing the first, Helen, to a young solicitor Paul McGovern\u2026","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130815142834im_\/http%3A\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Helen-Kiernans-Wedding.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130815142834im_\/http%3A\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Helen-Kiernans-Wedding.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130815142834im_\/http%3A\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Helen-Kiernans-Wedding.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130815142834im_\/http%3A\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Helen-Kiernans-Wedding.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3214,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/ambush-at-dooney-rock\/","url_meta":{"origin":5239,"position":2},"title":"Ambush At Dooney Rock","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"11th October 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"When we come at the end of time, To Peter sitting in state, He will smile on the three old spirits, - \"The Fiddler of Dooney\" (W.B. Yeats) Two men there died, by forces slain Who were comrades not so long ago Such is Civil War, at Dooney Rock Watched\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Irelands Wars"","block_context":{"text":"Irelands Wars","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/irelands-wars\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Anti Treaty IRA forces captured \"The Ballinalee\" armoured car, and it saw action against the Free State Army in future engagements before being burned out when recapture was beyond prevention. It was renamed \"The Wild Rose of Lough Gill\"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/The-Ballinalee-Armoured-Car-was-renamed-the-Lough-Gill-on-capture-in-Sligo.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/The-Ballinalee-Armoured-Car-was-renamed-the-Lough-Gill-on-capture-in-Sligo.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/The-Ballinalee-Armoured-Car-was-renamed-the-Lough-Gill-on-capture-in-Sligo.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/The-Ballinalee-Armoured-Car-was-renamed-the-Lough-Gill-on-capture-in-Sligo.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4040,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/flickering-candles-foretell-death\/","url_meta":{"origin":5239,"position":3},"title":"Flickering Candles Foretell Death","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"6th October 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"A tradition of foretelling a death from North Longford... From the Irish Folklore Commission In days gone by a tradition old Of which the Church condemns though what they are told By clergy the folk pay little heed For superstition and tradition they had a need And so together on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Death"","block_context":{"text":"Death","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/death\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dozen candles set un a dungpile - the first that went out said its owner would die within a year according to old Longford tradition","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Dozen-candles-set-un-a-dungpile-the-first-that-went-out-said-its-owner-would-die-within-a-year-according-to-old-Longford-tradition.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Dozen-candles-set-un-a-dungpile-the-first-that-went-out-said-its-owner-would-die-within-a-year-according-to-old-Longford-tradition.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Dozen-candles-set-un-a-dungpile-the-first-that-went-out-said-its-owner-would-die-within-a-year-according-to-old-Longford-tradition.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Dozen-candles-set-un-a-dungpile-the-first-that-went-out-said-its-owner-would-die-within-a-year-according-to-old-Longford-tradition.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Dozen-candles-set-un-a-dungpile-the-first-that-went-out-said-its-owner-would-die-within-a-year-according-to-old-Longford-tradition.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3443,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/let-death-not-sneak-in-our-door\/","url_meta":{"origin":5239,"position":4},"title":"Let Death Not Sneak In Our Door","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"1st January 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"In the days gone by during the War On the family farm in old Lislea My mother but a child she was The family set down to pray As families did in those times To give thanks for the little that they had Though times were tough to have little\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Family Stories"","block_context":{"text":"Family Stories","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/family-stories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Parlour in old Lislea - always kept for the important visitors as per Irish tradition...","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/The-Parlour-in-old-Lislea.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/The-Parlour-in-old-Lislea.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/The-Parlour-in-old-Lislea.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/The-Parlour-in-old-Lislea.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1106,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/life-to-his-kind-was-a-game-of-chance\/","url_meta":{"origin":5239,"position":5},"title":"Life to His Kind Was a Game of Chance – the story of Tom Reilly, an Irish Soldier of Fortune","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"11th November 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=pZ1DRqo2UNQ Adventures sake Brought the young sons of Erin Into uniform Thoughts of great glory Among shot and shell in hell Of the battlefield To return to home To kisses of loved ones And relieved mothers As hero's of old Of whom they heard as children At their mothers knee.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Non Rhyming Poems"","block_context":{"text":"Non Rhyming Poems","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/non-rhyming-poems\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tom Reilly, an Irish Soldier of Fortune","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/tomreilly.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/tomreilly.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/tomreilly.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5239"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5239\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5242,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5239\/revisions\/5242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}