You can dress it up in any language or cultural reference you like - they were young men and it was absolutely tragic. They should be alive and enjoying life with us here and now.

As should all the others who died in the sftermath - the few days following their deaths.

theres a story that James Joyce as a young man, went for Irish lessons amd the teacher was Pearse, who spent his time spouting on about the need for blood sacrifice, rather than teaching irregular verbs.

It was crap then, its crap now.

Life....that's the thing.