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Liam Mellows. Conor McNamara
Читать онлайн.Название Liam Mellows
Год выпуска 0
isbn 9781788550802
Автор произведения Conor McNamara
Жанр Биографии и Мемуары
Издательство Ingram
The next year was the brightest in the history of the movement, as it was also the brightest in the history of the country for many years. It witnessed a great change in opinion among the people. At long last some result was seen of the years of drudgery and ‘spade work’ on the part of the small minority who had stood true to Ireland through thick and thin. Slowly but surely the country was being roused from the lethargic and disorganised state into which constitutionalism had thrown it. The tide was beginning to turn.
A census of the movement was taken early in the year and it was found to number over a thousand members. An excellent handbook covering every phase of Fianna activity, written by officers of the movement, was put on the market and sold at one shilling. It contained lucid and instructive articles on drill, first aid, knot-tying, rifle exercises, camping, signalling and swimming. The constitution, and hints on the management of Sluaighte gained by hard experience were given. An introduction was written by the Countess, a few passages of which are given here:
It will take the best and noblest of Ireland’s children to win Freedom, for the price of freedom is suffering and pain. It is only when the suffering is deep enough and the pain almost beyond bearing that Freedom is won. Through the long black record of England’s tyranny and oppression, empire building and robbery, many names stand out as noble souls whose lives were given in a passionate protest against their country’s wrongs. France won free, but many suffered and died nobly before the conquering sacrifice of Joan of Arc turned the tide against the oppressor and the English were swept by a flood of national love and indignation out and across the Sea.
Prophetic words these, ‘the price of freedom is suffering and pain.’ She, Ireland’s Joan of Arc, at this moment is paying the price of our freedom. P.H. Pearse contributed to the handbook a splendid article on the ‘Fianna of Fionn’ and Roger Casement wrote on ‘Chivalry.’ The latter was deeply interested in the movement and contributed to its funds in a generous and anonymous fashion. Pádraic Ó Riain edited the book; indeed, a great many of the technical articles were his and the illustrations throughout were done by Michael Lonergan, another prominent member.
The rapid growth of the organisation now demanded an organiser should be appointed, to devote his whole time to the work of inspecting and instructing sluaghte and forming new sluaghte all over Ireland. The want of proper instruction was keenly felt in most parts of the country outside Dublin, and the appointment of an organiser to instruct and push propaganda was a big step forward. A guarantee fund was opened to enable the Ard Coiste to meet the strain this imposed on it.
The services of Liam Mellows were secured for the position. He was at this time in charge of two branches in Dublin – Inchicore and Dolphin’s Barn. He started off through the country full of enthusiasm and ere a month was over had got Enniscorthy, Ferns, Waterford and a few other places going, as well as visiting and instructing the branches already existing in South Leinster.
A Great anti-enlisting crusade was carried on all over the country during this year, and the Fianna did their share of this holy work of keeping the young manhood of Ireland out of the clutches of the government that ground them down. There was a special reason why the crusade was so vigourous. The British government were busy conducting a tremendous recruiting campaign in Ireland. They were feverishly enlisting and training an army in view of a struggle with Germany. And the following year, when war broke out, England had the gall to say that she was unprepared and that the war was sprung on her.
No methods were too mean or low or despicable to induce the Irishman to enlist. Airs associated for generations with the Irish cause were played by British recruiting bands. Fancy England ordering her paid murderers to stimulate the circulation of the Irish fighting blood by rendering ‘O’Donnell Aboo’, ‘The Wearing of the Green’, and ‘The Boys of Wexford’. A few years back and the playing of Irish airs was a treasonable offense. Irish warpipe bands, with the ‘swaddies’ decked out in Irish kilts, was another feature. All this, of course, was done in order to impress the Irish with the ‘toleration’ existing within the bounds of the British Empire.
Posters and bills appeared frequently on the walls and telegraph poles all over the country, warning young Irishmen of the dangers, both nationally and morally of joining the British Army. During June, the whole of Ireland was placarded in one night. The authorities instituted a vigorous inquiry, but failed to arrest anyone for it.
In some places the anti-recruiting crusade was carried beyond this line of action. In Athlone, two military bands were busy playing for the dupes. The local Irish Pipers Band and the Fianna marched out one night as a counter attraction. After a good deal of jostling the soldiers at last had to fly to their barracks followed by the victorious lads, who had now been joined by the populace, who demonstrated their hatred by booing and shouting. A meeting was held outside the barracks and a vast crowd was addressed by several speakers, who applauded denunciatory statements against the British army. The soldiers were removed from the town by special train next morning.
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