This Ballard is being taken out of context, not that anyone here is blame for that. Because unless you are a young true-born child of Éire, living in turn of the century Ireland then you have no modem analogies that allow you to fully understand.
The biggest confusion here seems to be over the term IRA and it’s full meaning. To many true-born, the IRA (Irish Republican Army) only existed for 4 years. It was formed in 1917 after the Easter Rising and it fought and won the War of Independence.
It was then betrayed by Éamon de Valera or De Valera as he is named in this song. The betrail was his signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, something he would never have done if he was true-born like Michael Collins.
What came after may have called itself the IRA but in truth, they were once more just rebels in their own country betrayed by their leaders and now hunted by the governments of both south and northern Ireland.
They in-turn lost any right to even call themselves IRA when in 1968 the Irish rebellion finally died after nearly 800 years and was replaced by a terrorist movement who sadly destroyed the once-proud name of the Irish Republican Army. In an area of time commonly known as “The Troubles” but to a true-born, it is known as the “Betrayal of 10’000 Bombs”.
If you’re still reading then I’ll try and explain below the meaning of “True-Born Child of Éire”. So hopefully they are not confused with either terrorists or a 13-year-old Iranian child ever again. Also why De Valera is considered by many including the writer of this Ballard as Quisling and why Collins is considered the last True-Born leader of Ireland.
First off you need to understand that the Irish are a famously stubborn people and Éire has never sat peacefully under English rule since the last High King of Éire Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair signed the Treaty of Windsor 1175 which ceded a large sway Ireland which was taken during the Norman Invasions over to English rule. After this Éire became Ireland and has never been whole since in the eyes of a true-born child of Éire
This is the root cause of the IRA or as its more popularly referred to these days, its “Origin Story”
Because for over 700 years after the Treaty of Windsor was signed the true-born never forgot, never forgave and never accepted any part of Éire being held under English rule. This belief has been ingrained into every true-born from the cradle to the grave for longer than most other countries have existed. In that time there have been 18 official Irish Rebellions
Now fast forward to the 1916 Easter Rising or (No:19). when the always present but never peaceful Irish rebels consisting of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, the Irish Volunteers, led by schoolmaster Patrick Pearse joined the Irish Citizen Army of James Connolly and over 200 women of Cumann na mBan. The war lasted 6 days and was viewed by many as the last stand of the true-born Irish Rebels because those that weren’t killed in action were executed by the English afterwards.
The only real true-born Irish leader that survived was Michael Collins, mostly because at this point he was just a lowly foot soldier under the command of one Éamon de Valera. A man who sadly was not true-born but was, in fact, an Irish-american born in New York City under his real name of George de Valero.
Micheal and George later fell out over De Valera’s signing of yet another treaty that gave parts of Éire away to Ireland’s hereditary enemy. Especially as it happened right after Ireland had finally won after seven and a half centuries of fighting.
Sadly Micheal Collins lost to Éamon de Valera and the true-born lost their last chance to see Éire united by one of its faithful.
It is my opinion that Éire is now lost to us because to reform it would require the creation of an entirely new True-Born Republic of Éire. One that’s completely untainted by English rule and one who’s roots are not permanently stained by the traitor who founded the current “republic”.
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