Woops! ThreadDrift Alert!

Re Sean South, killed alongside Feargal O'Hanlon ("The Patriot Game") in the raid of '57: there's a song "Sean South of Garryowen". Same melody as "Roddy McCorley" of earlier times. Nowhere near the quality or nuance of "The Patriot Game" of course; but hey.

A lyric that always sounded a wee bit dubious to me:


But the sergeant foiled their daring plan, as he spied them through the door


It was an IRA raid on an RUC barracks I believe. Geez, hadn't they like *thought* of the sergeant maybe noticing? Ah weel / I dunno the actual history..

Last verse though, which I always felt has beauty:


No more he'll hear the seagull's cry o'er the murmuring Shannon tide,
For he fell beneath that Northern sky, brave Hanlon by his side;
He has gone to join that noble band of Plunkett, Pearse and Tone,
Another martyr for old Ireland: Sean South of Garryowen.


South, I gather, like O'Hanlon was young though not *as* young; and was a scholar. Masato or someone, tell us more?? (McGrath of H.! Where are yez? Get offen th' Bloody Sunday & come over here & eddycate us!)


Aaah the power of patriot myth. Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. God help us.

-- The Threadcreep