On the Anniversary of Bobby's Death, One of his Favorite Poems Comes to Mind. [View all]

[chieftain]

The Lamentation for Owen Roe O'Neill captures the sadness of the Irish nation at the loss of a great leader when he was sorely needed. Here are some excerpts:


“DID they dare, did they dare, to slay Eoghan Ruadh O’Neill?”
“Yes, they slew with poison him they feared to meet with steel.”
“May God wither up their hearts! May their blood cease to flow,
May they walk in living death, who poisoned Eoghan Ruadh.”

“Wail, wail ye for the Mighty One. Wail, wail ye for the Dead,
Quench the hearth, and hold the breath—with ashes strew the head. 10
How tenderly we loved him. How deeply we deplore!
Holy Saviour! but to think we shall never see him more!

“Sagest in the council was he, kindest in the hall,
Sure we never won a battle—’twas Eoghan won them all.
Had he lived—had he lived—our dear country had been free: 15
But he’s dead, but he’s dead, and ’tis slaves we’ll ever be.

“Wail, wail him through the Island! Weep, weep for our pride!
Would that on the battlefield our gallant chief had died!
Weep the Victor of Beinn Burb—weep him, young and old:
Weep for him, ye women—your beautiful lies cold!

Soft as woman’s was your voice, O’Neill! bright was your eye,
O! why did you leave us, Eoghan? Why did you die? 30
Your troubles are all over, you’re at rest with God on high,
But we’re slaves, and we’re orphans, Eoghan!—why did you die?”


The Irish seem drawn to the tragic and tragedy remains his family's companion. I have to believe that as he would recite these words to a crowd, he knew it was a foreshadowing of his own death. I was as devastated by his loss as was Thomas Davis, the author of the poem, for O'Neill. He wept for Ireland, I still weep for the US.