Conway Mill Trust

Have you ever been to Ireland
With its rolling hills of green?
Sure ‘n its’ the fairest land
That ever has been seen.
And those green hills of Ireland
May be very far away
But they’re close to every Irish here
No matter what the day.

“Now I claim for Irish literature, at its best, these excellences: a clearer than Greek vision, a more generous than Greek humanity, a deeper than Greek spirituality. And I claim that Irish literature has never lost these excellences: that they are of the essence of Irish nature and are characteristic of modern Irish folk poetry even as they are ancient Irish epic and medieval Irish hymns.”

P.H. Pearse from a lecture delivered December 1912

“This contest of ours is not on our side a rivalry of vengeance but one of endurance-it is not they who can inflict most but they who can suffer most will conquer.”

Terence MacSwiney in his speech when elected Lord Mayor of Cork, March 1920. He was later arrested and imprisoned in Brixton Prison in England.  He died in prison in October 1920 after 74 days on hunger strike.

’There id is,’ Said Billy when they reached the top of the hill.
‘What?’
‘The cloud.’
‘What cloud?’
‘The cloud over Clonmel.’
‘And why the cloud over Clonmel? And how did you know there was a cloud over it?’
‘Because Clonmel was never wudout a cloud over id since the day Fr. Sheehy was hung.’ Replied Billy Hefferman.
For what was he hung?’
‘Begor, for killin’ a man that was alive twenty years after,’ said Billy. ‘But the rale raison was because he wanted to save the people from bein’ hunted, and the whole country turned into pasture for sheep and cattle.’

From Knocknagow by Charles J. Kickham