© Orla Donoghue
(After a painting of the same title by Kathleen Fox in 1916. Includes a line from Easter 1916 by WB Yeats)

Second in command, Constance led
Irish troops at St Stephen’s Green
Nobody there to intervene
They held fast, not one fled.

She fought until the last day
Her nights in argument
Never one to be content
until all Ireland had their say.

Smoke swirled in cold air
Rifles towards grey skies
Did they know more would die?
That nothing in this rising would be fair.

Dublin crumbled, many lay dead
Ireland free their one request
A crowd gathered at her arrest
“I am ready,” was all she said.