Being CS

Back to Ireland

I've been listening to Tommy Sands' music, and I feel like going back to Ireland and take a break from all of this. Tommy Sands is a musician who sings about life in Northern Ireland and the continuing conflict. His songs are hopeful songs about peace and friendship from somebody who has seen friends killed in the street and not lost hope. He is also known as an extreme pacifist that has organized events where ex-fighters for both the catholic and protestant side got together and read poetry they wrote while in prison. As out there as this might seem, I admire someone who can go through all of that and still not hate.

Though Allan, he was Protestant, and Sean was Catholic born,
It never made a difference for the friends, it was strong.
And sometimes in the evening when we heard the sound of drums
We said, ``It won't divide us. We always will be one.''

........

It was on a Sunday morning when the awful news came round.
Another killing has been done just outside Newry Town.
We knew that Allan danced up there, we knew he liked the band.
When we heard that he was dead we just could not understand.

We gathered at the graveside on that cold and rainy day,
And the minster he closed his eyes and prayed for no revenge.
All all of us who knew him from along the Ryan Road,
We bowed our heads and said a prayer for the resting of his soul.

Now fear, it filled the countryside. There was fear in every home
When a car of death came prowling round the lonely Ryan Road.
A Catholic would be killed tonight to even up the score.
``Oh, Christ! It's young O'Malley that they've taken from the door.''

``Allan was my friend,'' he cried. He begged them with his fear,
But centuries of hatred have ears that cannot hear.
An eye for an eye was all that filled their minds
And another eye for another eye till everyone is blind.

............

I don't know where the moral is or where this song should end,
But I wondered just how many wars are fought between good friends.