My Róisín Dubh
O, my Róisín Dubh,
Do not sigh, do not weep!
The priests are on the ocean green,
They march along the Deep.
There’s wine from the royal Pope,
Upon the ocean green;
And Spanish ale shall give you hope,
My Róisín Dubh!
My own Rosaleen!
Shall glad your heart, shall give you hope,
Shall give you health, and help, and hope,
My Róisín Dubh!
Over hills, and through dales,
Have I roamed for your sake;
All yesterday I sailed with sails
On river and on lake
The Erne, at its highest flood,
I dashed across unseen,
For there was lightning in my blood,
My Róisín Dubh!
My own Rosaleen!
Oh! there was lightning in my blood,
Red lightning lightened through my blood,
My Róisín Dubh!
All day long, in unrest,
To and fro, do I move.
The very soul within my breast
Is wasted for you, love!
The heart in my bosom faints
To think of you, my Queen,
My life of life, my saint of saints,
My Róisín Dubh!
My own Rosaleen!
To hear your sweet and sad complaints,
My life, my love, my saint of saints,
My Róisín Dubh!
Woe and pain, pain and woe,
Are my lot, night and noon,
To see your bright face clouded so,
Like to the mournful moon.
But yet will I rear your throne
Again in golden sheen;
‘Tis you shall reign, shall reign alone,
My Róisín Dubh!
My own Rosaleen!
‘Tis you shall have the golden throne,
‘Tis you shall reign, and reign alone,
My Róisín Dubh!
Over dews, over sands,
Will I fly, for your weal;
Your holy delicate white hands
Shall girdle me with steel.
At home in your emerald bowers,
From morning’s dawn till e’en,
You’ll pray for me, my flower of flowers,
My Róisín Dubh!
My fond Rosaleen!
You’ll think of me through Daylight’s hours,
My virgin flower, my flower of flowers,
My Róisín Dubh!
I could scale the blue air,
I could plough the high hills,
Oh, I could kneel all night in prayer,
To heal your many ills!
And one beamy smile from you
Would float like light between
My toils and me, my own, my true,
My Róisín Dubh!
My fond Rosaleen!
Would give me life and soul anew,
A second life, a soul anew,
My Róisín Dubh!
O! the Erne shall run red
With redundance of blood,
The earth shall rock beneath our tread,
And flames wrap hill and wood,
And gun-peal, and slogan cry,
Wake many a glen serene,
Ere you shall fade, ere you shall die,
My Róisín Dubh!
My own Rosaleen!
The Judgment Hour must first be nigh,
Ere you can fade, ere you can die,
My Róisín Dubh!
This impassioned song, entitled, in the original, Róisín Dubh, or The Black Little Rose, was written in the reign of Elizabeth by one of the poets of the celebrated Tirconnellian chieftain, Hugh the Red O’Donnell. It purports to be an allegorical address from Hugh to Ireland on the subject of his love and struggles for her, and his resolve to raise her again to the glorious position she held as a nation before the irruption of the Saxon and Norman spoilers.
The true character and meaning of the figurative allusions with which it abounds, and to two only of which I need refer here – viz., the “Roman wine” and “Spanish ale” mentioned in the first stanza – the intelligent reader will, of course, find no difficulty in understanding.
James Clarence Mangan, originally published in The Nation.
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An Interview with Patrick Quinlan from the National Party
Welcome to another in our series of interviews with prominent figures and rising stars in contemporary Irish nationalism!
Today we're talking to Patrick Quinlan from the National Party, a rapidly growing and influential political organisation in Ireland, one of the few if not the only such group with actual elected representatives. Read on to learn about engaging with the system, winning hearts and minds, and the political future for Irish nationalism!
Perhaps you could tell us a little bit about yourself to begin with?
I'm Patrick Quin
Read more...
An interview with Rob Carry
Good afternoon! As part of our ongoing series on rising nationalist stars and voices in Ireland, we're delighted to be able to introduce local community activist, businessman and politician, Rob Carry!
We've been talking about his amazing work for and with his community, as well as his aspirations and plans for the future.
ACS: Can you tell us a little about yourself, your background, and where you're coming from?
RC: Sure. So I’m a small business owner (I run a commercial gym, a martial arts club
Read more...
An Interview with Gavin from Offgrid Ireland
Good morning and welcome to another in our series of interviews with prominent figures and rising stars in modern Irish nationalism!
Today we're talking to Gavin from a prominent and influential online discussion group, the X SPACES Éire Community. This very active group has at one time or another hosted many well-known nationalist names and continues to grow in both size and influence.
ACS: Can you share with our readers some of your background and a little about who you are?
OI: I am an Offaly man, born and bred, now in my la
Read more...
A New Voice For Ireland
We are pleased to introduce a new rising star among Irish nationalists - although she needs no introduction for many of you who have attended Irish Ireland protests recently - Ciara Ní Mhainnín! Her uncompromising voice offers a clear challenge to the establishment and a great example for us all to follow.
Ciara very kindly took the time to join us in an online interview, which we are delighted to publish here.
ACS: What made you decide to get involved with the Irish Ireland cause, was there one particular event or was it more of a process?
Read more...
The last address of Thomas MacDonagh
There is not much left to say. The Proclamation of the Irish Republic has been adduced in evidence against me as one of the Signatories. I adhere to every statement in the Proclamation. You think it already a dead and buried letter, but it lives, it lives. From minds alight with Ireland’s vivid intellect it sprang; in hearts aflame with Ireland’s mighty love it was conceived. Such documents do not die.
The British occupation of Ireland has never for more than one hundred years been compelled to confront in the field of fight a Rising so formidable as that which overwhe
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From A Hermitage - DECEMBER 1913
I was once stranded on a desert island with a single companion. When two people are stranded on a desert island they naturally converse. We conversed. We sat on a stony beach and talked for hours. When we had exhausted all the unimportant subjects either of us could think of, we commenced to talk about important subjects. (I have observed that even on a desert island it is not considered good form to talk of important things while unimportant things remain to be discussed.)
We had very different points of views, and very different temperaments. I was a boy; my companion was
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