Yesterday marked the 98th anniversary of the abortive Easter Rising in Dublin. Until the outbreak of The Troubles in 1969, every EasterMonday was commemorated with parades by the Irish State. It is, after all, Ireland’s Independence Day.
In honor of the occasion, I have decided to post a poem by Joseph Mary Plunkett, one of the Rising’s leaders. The poem was addressed to his fiancee, Grace Gifford. Joseph and Grace were married in the Catholic chapel of Dublin’s Kilmainham Jail. Just a few hours later, Joseph Plunkett was taken into the courtyard and executed by firing squad. His poem “The Dark Way” may be described as his last message to the woman he loved.
http://poetry.elcore.net/CatholicPoets/Plunkett/Plunkett23.html
“The Dark Way” by Joseph Mary Plunkett
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About the Author: Brendan King
The song “Grace” is about the incident. “The Dark Way” is Plunkett’s actual words. Both have merit, but I prefer Plunkett’s poem to the song. TG4, the Irish language television network, recently aired a series of documentaries about the Rising’s leaders. The segment on Plunkett’s included a voiceover of “The Dark Way” during the reenactment of his marriage and execution.
Is this poem the basis for the song by the Irish Tenors Grace?