TheConquerer©2022TonyFallon0602

 TheConquerer©2022TonyFallon0602

Recently in Northern Ireland 100.000 celebrated the 100th anniversary of the setting 

up of the 6 Counties. A system where Catholics were not allowed to vote and were discriminated against in employment and housing. Where their homes were burned, and thousands fled 

south with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Some people would be ashamed to celebrate.

The conqueror introduced us to coffee and teas

And took away our lumber by cutting down our trees

For building ships our timber was of the finest grade

But it left our fields bare and our cattle without shade

Religion was banned in school, so we had hedge classes

They made priests illegal and banned our Sunday masses

Often the hunted priest said mass for his loyal flock

On a secure hill and for the altar used a rock

They took our little farms and assembled big estates

And then charged the poor previous owners rent and rates

The landlord system by English gentry was designed

But taking our land by force it was newly defined

It almost sounds legal when it's called a plantation

Thus, breeding anger in another generation

All young ones in the house to do hard work were willing

How else to raise money to pay the weekly shilling?

If the rent wasn't paid on time the house and land was seized

To die by the roadside either hungry or diseased

What was the good lord thinking when he sent us the blight?

And halved the population because of death and flight

So little effort was made to reduce starvation

They thought a famine would reduce the population

Besides it's known hungry men can't fight a revolution

And with O'Connell dead there was less noise pollution

The rebels had few guns, so they fought with pike and fork

In Wexford and then later on in Kerry and Cork

Each decade sacrificed some brother's fathers and sons

Blood spilled on their native soil by angry English guns

Those who tried included Fr Murphy and brave Wolfe Tone

And many buried where they fell without a head stone

A happy home was where family was together

And a farm that would provide food in the cold weather

The rebel won't settle for less in the isle of green

Nor will he ever bow to an English King or Queen

Still the struggle went on with fighting cruel and fierce

Even more recently we had Connolly and Pearce

From the life of leisure poor Irish people were barred

The servant system invented to make them work hard

The bible says when hungry you beg borrow or steal

In Ireland it was a major crime to steal oatmeal

For a minor crime you could for weeks be on remand

Then transported on a boat to Van Diemen's land

To victors go the spoils even if taken by force

In Ulster they still take pride without shame or remorse