Lyr Req: Brian O'Ruairc / Brian O'Rourke (Sullivan

Subject: Lyr Req: You ask me what defence is mine
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 23 May 03 - 06:50 AM

Anyone know this? I think it's about someone supporting the Spanish Armada, and it's called something like O'Rourke's Request.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You ask me what defence is mine
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 23 May 03 - 06:51 AM

Ooops, meant to say the first line of one of the verses is: "You ask me what defence is mine..."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You ask me what defence is mine
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 23 May 03 - 05:05 PM

Anyone?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You ask me what defence is mine
From: GUEST,Sorcha
Date: 23 May 03 - 05:10 PM

I googled and nobody else seems to know either. Found requests on 2 diff boards.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You ask me what defence is mine
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 26 May 03 - 08:44 PM

I haven't found the poem, but here's a link to an article about a certain Brian 'na Murtha O'Rourke who may be the very same O'Rourke the poem is about. Maybe someone at one of the O'Rourke genealogy sites can help you out...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You ask me what defence is mine
From: GUEST,bernard
Date: 14 Jun 08 - 05:33 PM

It's an Irish poem called "O Ruaric's Last Request" by Lucia Lewis

My grandmother had me memorize this as a kid 20 years ago.

Let's see what I can remember (this is from memory now)

You ask me what defence is mine
Here 'midst your armed bands
You only mock the prisoner who is helpless in your hands

What would defence avail to me?
Though good it be and true
Here, in the heart of London Town
with judges such as you.

You gravely talk about my crime
I owe no crime at all
The deeds you blame, I'd do again
Should such a chance befall

You say I've helped your foreign foes
to war against your Queen
Well, challenged so I'll proudly show
what has my helping been.

On that wild day when near our shore
the stately ships of Spain
Caught in a fierce and sudden storm
for safety sought in vain

I rushed into the raging surf
my gen'rous people too
Men, women, even children came
some kindly deed to do.

We saw them clutching spars and planks
dragged by the refluent wave
those who one reach from kindly hand
would have sufficed to save

(missing stanza here - the last line is "We grasped the drowning men")

We took them to our hearths and homes
and bade them there remain
Until such day as they might see
their native land again.

This is the treason you have charged?
Well treason, let it be
One word of sorrow for such fault
you'll never hear from me.

Oh, you would bring me to your Queen
low at her feet to kneel
Crave mercy from her stony heart
and urge some mean appeal

I answer "no"
my knees will bend and prayers of mine arise
to but one Queen: the Queen of Heaven
High throned above the skies

And now you ask my dying wish?
My last and sole request
is that the scaffold built for me
be fronted to the West.

To my dear country far away
one glimpse I cannot see
wherever and however high
you raise my gallow's tree

Still I wish my last fond look
Should seek that distant shore
So turn my face to Ireland, sirs.
Of you I ask no more.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You ask me what defence is mine
From: GUEST,bernard
Date: 14 Jun 08 - 05:41 PM

As I recall, O Ruaric was a prince of Breifne.

My grandparents were form Ireland, I grew up in Chicago. This one one of their ways of keeping us connected to our heritage.

Do you beleive I memorized this for a five dollar reward and that I remember most of it 20 (25?) years later?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You ask me what defence is mine
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Jun 08 - 01:56 PM

3 November 1591 The Irish chieftain Brian O'Rourke is executed at Tyburn, London, England, for treasonably sheltering Spanish sailors shipwrecked from the Armada in Connaught, Ireland.

Stu

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You ask me what defence is mine
From: GUEST,bernard
Date: 15 Jun 08 - 11:06 PM

Stu - I see you looked it up on wikipedia too. ;)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You ask me what defence is mine
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Jun 08 - 04:08 AM

Fascinating set of stories in and around this time. Different reports from different areas; some groups it seems attacked the Spanish for the treasure supposedly in the ships, others helped the sailors. There seems to be more information using the O Rourke spelling

Stu

Subject: Lyr Add: BRIAN O'RUAIRC / BRIAN O'ROURKE (Sullivan
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 19 Jun 08 - 06:03 AM

Copied from http://davidjohnewart.com/spanisharmada/poem1.htm. I have taken the liberty of arranging it into 4-line stanzas.

BRIAN O'RUAIRC (BRIAN O'ROURKE)
By T. D. Sullivan

You ask me what defense is mine. Here amidst your armed bands!
You only mock the prisoner who is helpless in your hands.
What would defense avail me though it be good and true,
Here in the heart of London town, with judges such as you?

On that wild day when near our coasts the stately ships of Spain
Caught in a fierce and sudden storm, for safety sought in vain;
When wrenched and torn 'midst mountain waves some foundered in the deep,
And others broke on sunken reefs and headlands rough and steep—

I heard the cry that off my land where breakers rise and roar
The sailors from a wrecking ship were striving for the shore.
I hurried to the frightful scene, my generous people too,
Men, women, even children, came, some kindly deed to do.

We saw them clutching spars and planks that soon were washed away,
Saw others bleeding on the rocks, low moaning where they lay;
Some cast ashore and back again dragged by the refluent wave,
Whom one grip from a friendly hand would have sufficed to save.

We rushed into the raging surf, watched every chance, and when
They rose and rolled within our reach we grasped the drowning men
We took them to our hearths and homes and bade them there remain
Till they might leave with hope to reach their native land again.

This is the 'treason' you have charged! Well, treason let it be,
One word of sorrow for such fault you'll never hear from me.
I'll only say although you hate my race, and creed, and name,
Were your folk in that dreadful plight I would have done the same.


[Here's the Wikipedia article: Brian O'Rourke.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You ask me what defence is mine
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 19 Jun 08 - 06:17 AM

I may not agree with your politics (I infer you favour a united Ireland under the rule of the South), but I think you are very right when you say "This one one of their ways of keeping us connected to our heritage".

Curiously, many here seem to deny that the same argument applies to the English learning or singing traditional Englsh songs.

By the second world war however Southern Ireland was independent, which is why the treason trial of Lord Haw-Haw was a crock of shit.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You ask me what defence is mine
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 19 Jun 08 - 07:39 AM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You ask me what defence is mine
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 19 Jun 08 - 07:42 AM

from the Wikipedia article:

"Ó Ruairc claimed descent from one of the ancient kings of Ireland, and was remarked upon as a handsome and unusually learned Gaelic chieftain. He assumed leadership of his family in the mid-1560s, having assassinated his elder brothers..."

(That's the first quotation.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You ask me what defence is mine
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 19 Jun 08 - 07:46 AM

Here's another:

"the grand jury of Middlesex found evidence of various offences of treason, the most substantial of which concerned the assistance given to Armada survivors, the attempt to raise mercenaries in Scotland, and various armed raids made by O'Rourke into Sligo and Roscommon."

So there seems to be something to the Armada survivors story, though we don't know what that's all about.

So, if the sources used in the Wikipedia article are accurate, the guy was a murderer and a schemer. I shudder to think of the fate of the people who were victims of his armed raids.

Time to get a new hero!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brian O'Ruairc / Brian O'Rourke (Sullivan
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Oct 08 - 11:07 AM

The O'Ruairc clan were the kings of Breiffni, the fifth province of Ireland in the area that is now Leitrim.

i had searched the internet for a long time looking for this poem, and i recently found an old written copy at home. It is funny that this thread after being dead for so long same back to life around the time i found my own old copy!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brian O'Ruairc / Brian O'Rourke (Sullivan
From: GUEST,Steve Whatmough (Australia)
Date: 12 Feb 09 - 03:32 PM

Came across this website while searching this poem and my O'Rourke family tree. This poem was handed down from my O'Rourke relations along with other family documents. I recent bought a 1893 copy of T.D. Sullivan's poems, but this poem is not amongst them.
Note this version has another two verses, and the title is just "O'Rourke's Request" Can any one can tell me the publications it came from?


O'Rourke's Request
(Brian O'Ruairc - Prince of Breffni, AD1589)

You ask me what defence is mine?
Here! midst your armed bands,
You only mock the prisoner, who is helpless in your hands!
What would defence avail of me,
Though good it be and true,
Here in the heart of London town, with judges such as you?
You gravely talk about my "crime!"
I own no crime at all;
The deeds you blame I'd do again should such a chance befall.
You say I've helped the foreign foes,
Who war against our Queen -
Well, challenged so, I'll proudly show what has my helping been:
On that wild day, when near our coast
the stately ships of Spain,
Caught in a fierce and sudden storm for shelter sought in vain;
When, wrenched and torn 'midst mountain waves
some foundered in the deep,
And others broke on sunken reefs and headlands rough and steep –
I heard the cry that off my land
where breakers rise and roar
The sailors from a wrecking ship were striving for the shore.
I hurried to the frightful scene,
my generous people too,
Men, women, and children came, with kindly deed to do.
We saw them clutching spars and planks,
that soon were washed away,
Saw some bleeding on the rocks, low moaning where they lay;
Some cast ashore, and back again dragged by the refluant wave,
When one grip from a friendly hand would have sufficed to save.
We rushed into the raging surf, watched every chance; and when
They rose and rolled within our reach, we grasped the drowning men.
We took them to our hearths and homes, and bade them there remain
'Till they might leave with hope to reach their native land again.
This is the "treason" you have charged! Well, treason let it be,
One word of sorrow for this fault, you'll never hear from me.
I'll only say, although you hate my race and creed and name,
Were your folk in that dreadful plight I would have done the same.
Oh, you would bring me to your Queen, low at her foot to kneel,
Crave mercy from her stony heart, and urge some mean appeal!.
I answer No! my knees will bend and prayers of mine arise
To but one Queen, the Queen of Heaven, high throned above the skies.
And now you ask my dying wish? My last and sole request
Is that the scaffold built for me be fronted to the West,
Of my dear country far away one glimpse I cannot see
Whenever and however high you raise the gallow tree;
Yet would I wish my last fond look should seek that distant shore;
So turn my face to Ireland Sirs, of you I ask no more.

Timothy Daniel Sullivan 1827 – 1914

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brian O'Ruairc / Brian O'Rourke (Sullivan
From: MartinRyan
Date: 13 Feb 09 - 11:54 AM

Sullivan published several volumes of poetry. Not sure which this comes from. He also wrote the lyrics of a number of well known Irish songs e.g. God Save Ireland and Ireland, Boys Hurrah. He was editor of The Nation towards the end of the 19th. C.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brian O'Ruairc / Brian O'Rourke (Sullivan
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 15 Feb 09 - 11:50 AM

O'RUAIRC'S REQUEST (sic), by T. D. Sullivan, can be found in Leaḃar Aiṫriseoireaċta Na NGaeḋeal / Gill's Irish Reciter edited by Seán Ua Ceallaigh / J. J. O'Kelly (Dublin: M. H. Gill & Son, 1905), page 53ff.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brian O'Ruairc / Brian O'Rourke (Sullivan
From: GUEST,Steve W
Date: 18 Feb 09 - 03:21 PM

Thanks Jim for the information on O'RUAIRC'S REQUEST
Regards
Steve

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brian O'Ruairc / Brian O'Rourke (Sullivan
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Jul 09 - 08:34 PM

Hi - try on this website. www.rootsweb.ancestry.com.

They have some great information on the Au Ruairc (O'rourke) family.

Also contains a map of Ireland circa 1100 AD which clearly shows the land held by the family. It also traces the family back to 893 AD and
clearly shows that there was a King Auairc on this land even then.

I have just started to really look into this and have found out that another branch of my family live near hear and are called Ua Cannannain who owned land at the same time as Au Rairc. These two
families where united again with the marriage of my granparents in Govan, Glasgow 1910 after both families left due to the famine. Although I'm sure plenty more of them got married well before this!!.

Coming from Glasgow in Scotland my sister and I intend going over to Ireland in a few weeks to do some more research on these names in the area. I'll post any more information on here as soon as I can.

James O'rourke

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brian O'Ruairc / Brian O'Rourke (Sullivan
From: GUEST,Jill Bolig
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 02:43 PM

James,

   I just saw this post. My family was the same as yours. My great grandmother was an O'Rourke and my great grandfather was an O'Hanley who also owned land in Roscommen, Ireland. They left Ireland for the United States in the 1840s because of the potatoe famine and married in the United States. Did you find anything about the O'Rourke family while you were in Ireland?

                                        Jill

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brian O'Ruairc / Brian O'Rourke (Sullivan
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 04:27 PM

I just discovered this site and found the postings most interesting. I'm an O'Rourke living in Leitrim. That's where the old Kingdom of Breffni was centered. I'm glad to be near the burials grounds of my ancestors and I am currently researching my immediate forefathers. If you go to Facebook, check out the light-hearted group called "Give the Kingdom of Breffni back to the O'Rourkes".

Slan agaibh
Al O'Rourke

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brian O'Ruairc / Brian O'Rourke (Sullivan
From: GUEST,Jill Bolig
Date: 14 Jan 11 - 10:27 AM

Al,

   I would love to get more information on the O'Rourke family. My email is [e-mail]. I have been trying to research my Irish roots but it has been very hard. The irish names I am researching are very common, and most came to the United States between 1850 and 1870. My family includes O'Hanley, O'Rourke, Murphy, and Riordan. If you know of any good books or websites for information on any of these families, even just good histories of Ireland I would greatly appreciate it. Also, I tried looking for the faebook group you spoke about and I haven't been able to find it.

                               Jill

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brian O'Ruairc / Brian O'Rourke (Sullivan
From: GUEST,john o'rourke london orininally from co clar
Date: 20 Mar 11 - 05:31 PM

go into the 1911 census click on browse the census it will bring up every county in ireland then the townlands which will have strange names you will be able to visist each townland and see the names of the people who lived there in 1911 Also i have a document from the tower of london stating that Sir Brian O'Rourke was imprisoned on the 9th may 1591 for high treason and was taken from the tower on the 3rd of November 1591 to be hung at tyburn gallows near marble arch london and it was a Wednesday and puoring rain that day any further info my e-mail is [e-mail] good hunting

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brian O'Ruairc / Brian O'Rourke (Sullivan
From: GUEST,j o'rourke
Date: 20 Mar 11 - 07:47 PM

I note some think he was a murderer maybe so but in those days you fought to protect your own existance but remember this man's land was occupied by foreign british invaders so he was rightly entitled to protect his homeland and people but look are we showing much inprovement in the twenty first century or have we learned any lessons I THINK NOT

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brian O'Ruairc / Brian O'Rourke (Sullivan
From: GUEST,Kay Barlow. 17thApril 2013
Date: 17 Apr 13 - 11:35 AM

Thrilled to find Orourkes Request to day, my belovedFather taught me this poem 60 years ago I was missing parts of it but had remembered almost every line. Thank you

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brian O'Ruairc / Brian O'Rourke (Sullivan
From: GUEST,Theresa Nicksic (Meehan, McHugh)
Date: 22 Sep 17 - 01:13 PM

Just came across a hand written copy my grandmother wrote 20 yrs ago at the age of 75. From memory as she learned it as a child in Donegal.