Conference tallis::celt

129.0. "IRELAND FROM 1922 TO WORLD WAR II" by FNYFS::AUNGIER (Rene Aungier, Ferney-Voltaire, France) Fri Feb 06 1987 03:43

	Recommended Reading
        
	Name Of Book				Author
	------------                            ------
	My Fight For Irish Freedom              Dan Breen
	Guerilla Days In Ireland		Tom Barry
	Michael Collins				Mary Forrester <***>
	De Valera				Lord Longford  <***>
	Ireland Since The Famine		Professor F. S. Lyons

	<***> There are a few books around. I can only remember one of the
	      titles. It is best to read more than one as some of the authors
	      are more favourable to De Valera and visa versa
	
	Poetry					Author
	------                                  ------
	Mothers					Padraig Pearse
	The Wayfairer				Padraig Pearse
	Blood Upon The Rose			Joseph Mary Plunkett
	A Terrible Beauty is Born		W.B. Yeats


	Songs					Author/Singer
	-----                                   -------------
	As Down The Glen One Easter Morn	Wolf Tones <***>
	Come out you Black and Tans		Wolf Tones <***>
      	Green Fields Of France			The Fury Brothers and Davy Arthur
	My Only Son Was Shot In Dublin		Wolf Tones <***>
        Kevin Barry				Wolf Tones <***>
	Take It Down From The Flag Irish Traitors	I don't really know
	We're Off To Dublin In The Green	I don't really know
	4 Green Fields				I don't really know

	<***> Some of these songs are sung by other groups but again I cannot
	      remember all the names right now, but I am sure that you can find
	      L.P.'s with all the songs of say 1916 etc. The Titles I have put
	      could be a little incorrect but the chorus line is correct.
	
	Documentaries				Author
	-------------				------
	1916					R.T.E. (Radio Teilifis Eireann)
	



		IRISH HISTORY FROM 1922 TO WORLD WAR II
		=======================================

	The treaty between the British government and the Republicans
	under Michael Collins was signed in 1922.

	The discussions went on for many months and at times it looked
	as if the I.R.A. would be back at war again. The men and women
	of the "Flying Columns" did not disband but mearly went back to
	thier farms but ready to be called back out. I have seen photographs
	of Dan Breen (He was also called Bulldog because of his face) working
	in the fields of his farm but with gun in holster.

	Michael Collins wanted a 32 county republic but thought that to
	get at least 26 would be a start. Sadly as history has shown, even
	to this day the republic contains only 26 counties.

	Ulter is made up of 9 counties, but only 6 belong to the British.
	Why these 6 ?. Many of the counties that were to remain in British
	hands were prodominately Catholic. The reason if we examine them
	were purely economical. Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan were and still
	are economically poor. 

	Derry while predominately Catholic was a rich county with textile,
	shipping and industries.

	The Free State was born as it was called. Not all members of the
	I.R.A. were happy with partitioning Ireland esecially Eamonn De
	Valera, Cathal Brugha, Tom Barry and many others. Thus a sad chapter
	of Irish history was born, The Civil War between pro-treaty forces
	under Michael Collins and the anti-treaty forces under Eamonn De
	Valera. It is sad that men and women who during the War Of Independence
	had fought together against the British were now fighting against
	one another.

	Many died and many attrocities were commited during this chapter
	of Irish history. Eventually the Free State army under Michael Collins
	defeated the anti-treaty forces. Michael Collins was assinated in
	his own home county by anti-treaty forces. De Valera had until his
	death denied any knowledge of the plan to assinate Collins.

	People wept in the streets on hearing the news of Collins death.
	To many people they had lost a statesman and one of the greatest
	leaders of the War Of Independence.

	From this period on Ireland began to enjoy for the first time peace
	and control of its destiny. The British occupied some military bases
	in the south of Ireland. 

	2 political parties emerged after the Civil War, Fianna Fail founded
	by Eamonn De Valera and Clann Na Gael under the pro-treaty forces.

	De Valera's party at first refused to take their seats in the Dail
	as under the treaty aggreement members of the Dail had to swear
	allegiance to the King of England. Eventually De Valera's party
	took their seats. Clann Na Gael (Fianna Gael now a days).

	The period up to the start of the World War II was one in which
	De Valera and Fianna Fail drafted the 1st constitution and managed
	to get back the ports still being held by the British. Eventually
	through polital manouvering De Valera got rid of the oath of allegiance
	to the English King.

	

	Foot Note:

	This period is difficult for me to write about as many things in
	the political arena happened and various personalities came and
	went. The book I mentioned "Ireland Since The Famine" give a very
	good history of this period. It was a period of reasonable quiet.
	It is a period when a Nation began to come to maturity and after
	600 hundred years of bondage had some of its nation free.



	Tomorrow I will continue with Ireland From WWII until 1969.


	Rene

    
    
    	Just a little more help with the songs .....
    
    	As down the glen one Easter morn  =  Foggy Dew
    	
        Green Fields of France .. a/k/a/ Willie McBride
    	I have an excellent version done by "Stocktons' Wing"    
                                           
    	Four Greenfields was written by Tommy Makem.
                                                       
    
    	Great stuff ... lets have more !!
    
    
    	keVin

    
    	'We're all off to Dublin in the green' is called 'The Jolly
    	Ploughboy' and along with the Soldier's song used to be the anthem
    	sung at Parkhead by Glasgow Celtic supporters (myself included)
    
    	Another song worth a mention is 'The Patriot Game' - by Dominic
    	Behan. (everyone and their granny has recorded it)
    
    	John
    
            

    To get a feel for the flying columns, 'Galtee Mountain Boy' sung by
    Christy Moore is worth a listen.