Lament For The Death Of Eoghan Ruadh O'Neill.

Thomas Osborne Davis 1814 (Mallow, County Cork) – 1845 (Dublin)



I.
  
"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!"
  
  
II.
  
"Though it break my heart to hear, say again the bitter words.
From Derry, against Cromwell, he marched to measure swords:
But the weapon of the Sacsanach met him on his way,
And he died at Cloch Uachtar,upon St. Leonard's day.
  
  
III.
  
"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.
How tenderly we loved him! How deeply we deplore!
Holy Saviour! but to think we shall never see him more.
  
  
IV.
  
"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;
But he's dead, but he's dead, and 'tis slaves we'll ever be.
  
  
V.
  
"O'Farrell and Clanrickarde, Preston and Red Hugh,
Audley and MacMahon, ye are valiant, wise, and true;
But--what, what are ye all to our darling who is gone?
The Rudder of our Ship was he, our Castle's corner stone!
  
  
VI.
  
"Wail, wail him through the Island! Weep, weep for our pride!
Would that on the battle-field our gallant chief had died!
Weep the Victor of Beann-bhorbh--weep him, young men and old;
Weep for him, ye women--your Beautiful lies cold!
  
  
VII.
  
"We thought you would not die--we were sure you would not go,
And leave us in our utmost need to Cromwell's cruel blow--
Sheep without a shepherd, when the snow shuts out the sky--
Oh! why did you leave us, Eoghan? Why did you die?
  
  
VIII.
  
"Soft as woman's was your voice, O'Neill! bright was your eye,
Oh! why did you leave us, Eoghan? Why did you die?
Your troubles are all over, you're at rest with God on high,
But we're slaves, and we're orphans, Eoghan!--why didst thou die?"
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Submitted on August 03, 2020

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:55 min read
12

Quick analysis:

Scheme aabc xxxc ccdd eeff ggxx cccc bbhC hChc
Closest metre Iambic heptameter
Characters 1,926
Words 374
Stanzas 8
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Thomas Osborne Davis

Thomas Osborne Davis October 14 1814 - September 16 1845 was an Irish writer and politician who was the chief organizer and poet of the Young Ireland movement Thomas Davis was born in the town of Mallow in the county of Cork He studied in Trinity College Dublin and received an Arts degree precursory to his being called to the Irish Bar in 1838 He established The Nation newspaper with Charles Gavan Duffy and John Blake Dillon He dedicated his life to Irish nationalism He wrote some stirring nationalistic ballads originally contributed to The Nation and afterwards republished as Spirit of the Nation as well as a memoir of Curran the Irish lawyer and orator prefixed to an edition of his speeches and he had formed many literary plans which were brought to naught by his death from tuberculosis in 1845 at the age of 30 more…

All Thomas Osborne Davis poems | Thomas Osborne Davis Books

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