The Wolfe Tones recorded a song they apparently called "Padraig Pearse", am pasting from one of the lyric sites, the last line of the chorus is 'when Ireland's a nation, united and free'. And it is a haunting last line, has stuck with me many years too.



In Dublin town in nineteen sixteen a flame of freedom did arise
A group of men with determination caught an empire by surprise
Through the streets our men were marching
They rallied with their hopes and fears
And the Enda boys came searching for their leader Padraig Pearse


Chorus:
The poet and the Irish rebel, a Gaelic scholar and a visionary
We gave to him no fitting tribute
When Ireland's at peace only that can be
When Ireland's a nation, united and free


On Easter morn he faced the nation from the steps of the G.P.O
And read aloud the proclamation, the seed of nationhood to sow
But soon the word had spread to London of an insurrection there at hand
And the deeds of Padraic Pearse was set about to free his land



For five long days the battle rages, for five long nights the battle wore
We will watch as Dublin City blazes and see our men fall through the floor
No Ireland's proud of her effort for her cause we fought with pride
But to save more life and to save our city, we make our peace with McFainis cried



Kilmainham Jail in 1916, they brought young Pearse
to his death cell and they tried him as a traitor to shoot this man who dared to rebel
He only tried to free his country of the shackles of 800 years
When dawn did break on that May morning they shot our Leader Padraic Pearse