|
JEREMIAH O'DONOVAN ROSSA'S FUNERAL -
IRISH HISTORY 1915
Ireland Unfree Shall Never Be at
Peace
It follows the full text transcript of
Patrick Pearse's Ireland Unfree Shall Never
Be At Peace speech, delivered at the Glasnevin Cemetery
in Dublin, Ireland - August 1, 1915.
 |
It has seemed
right, |
before we turn
away from this place in which we have laid the
mortal remains of O'Donovan Rossa, that one
among us should, in the name of all, speak the
praise of that valiant man, and endeavor to
formulate the thought and the hope that are in
us as we stand around his grave.
And if there is
anything that makes it fitting that I, rather
than some other, rather than one of the
grey-haired men who were young with him and
shared in his labor and in his suffering, should
speak here, it is perhaps that I may be taken as
speaking on behalf of a new generation that has
been re-baptized in the Fenian faith, and that
has accepted the responsibility of carrying out
the Fenian program.
I propose to you
then that, here by the grave of this unrepentant
Fenian, we renew our baptismal vows. That here
by the grave of this unconquered and
unconquerable man, we ask of God, each one for
himself, such unshakable purpose, such high and
gallant courage, such unbreakable strength of
soul as belonged to O'Donovan Rossa.
Deliberately here we avow ourselves, as he
avowed himself in the dock, Irishmen of one
allegiance only. We of the Irish Volunteers, and
you others who are associated with us in today's
task and duty, are bound together and must stand
together henceforth in brotherly union for the
achievement of the freedom of Ireland. And we
know only one definition of freedom: it is
Tone's definition, it is Mitchel's definition,
it is Rossa's definition. Let no man blaspheme
the cause that the dead generations of Ireland
served by giving it any other name and
definition than their name and their definition.
We stand at Rossa's grave not in sadness but
rather in exaltation of spirit that it has been
given to us to come thus into so close a
communion with that brave and splendid Gael.
Splendid and holy causes are served by men who
are themselves splendid and holy. O'Donovan
Rossa was splendid in the proud manhood of him,
splendid in the heroic grace of him, splendid in
the Gaelic strength and clarity and truth of
him. And all that splendor and pride and
strength was compatible with a humility and a
simplicity of devotion to Ireland, to all that
was olden and beautiful and Gaelic in Ireland,
the holiness and simplicity of patriotism of a
Michael O'Clery or of an Eoghan O'Growney. The
clear true eyes of this man almost alone in his
day envisioned Ireland as we of today would
surely have her: not free merely, but Gaelic as
well; not Gaelic merely, but free as well.
In a closer spiritual communion with him now
than ever before, or perhaps ever again, in a
spiritual communion with those of his day,
living and dead, who suffered with him in
English prisons, in communion of spirit too with
our own dear comrades who suffer in English
prisons today, and speaking on their behalf as
well as our own, we pledge to Ireland our love,
and we pledge to English rule in Ireland our
hate.
This is a place of
peace, sacred to the dead, where men should
speak with all charity and with all restraint;
but I hold it a Christian thing, as O'Donovan
Rossa held it, to hate evil, to hate untruth, to
hate oppression, and, hating them, to strive to
overthrow them.
Our foes are
strong and wise and wary: but, strong and wise
and wary as they are, they cannot undo the
miracles of God who ripens in the hearts of
young men the seeds sown by the young men of
former generation. And the seeds sown by the
young men of '65 and '67 are coming to their
miraculous ripening today. Rulers and defenders
of Realms had need to be wary if they would
guard against such processes. Life springs from
death; and from the graves of patriot men and
women spring living nations. The defenders of
this Realm have worked well in secret and in the
open. They think that they have pacified
Ireland.
They think that they have purchased half of us
and intimidated the other half.
They think that
they have foreseen everything, think that they
have provided against everything, but the fools,
the fools, the fools!
They have left us
with our Fenian dead, and while Ireland holds
these graves, Ireland unfree shall never be at
peace.
More History
|
