From March, 2010, Irish President and Labour Party official Michael D Higgins responds with good old Irish spirit to a right-wing radio host to defend workers, regular people and affordable health care in the USA. This was from a radio broadcast in Boston, Massachusetts.
From Wikipedia: "Higgins was born in Limerick in 1941. When his father's health grew poor, with alcohol a contributing factor, his mother sent Higgins, aged five, and his four-year-old brother to live on his unmarried uncle and aunt's farm near Newmarket on Fergus, County Clare. His older twin sisters remained in Limerick. He was educated at Ballycar National School, County Clare; St. Flannan's College, Ennis; University College Galway (UCG); Indiana University; and Manchester University. As an undergraduate at UCG, he served as Vice Auditor of the College's Literary and Debating Society in 1963–1964, and rose to the position of Auditor in the 1964–1965 academic year. He also served as President of UCG Students' Union in 1964–65. Higgins holds a graduate degree in sociology.
"In his academic career, he was a Statutory Lecturer in the Department of Political Science and Sociology at University College Galway and was a Visiting Professor at Southern Illinois University. He resigned his academic posts to concentrate fully on his political career."
The host is Michael Graham of Boston Newstalk 106-108fm.
I'm not Irish, but I love this song. It's based on a sad but inevitable chapter in history---the beginning of the modern Irish Free State and later Republic when nationalists under the banner of the United Irish Volunteers and other groups known as "Fenians" to the British marched on Dublin on the day after Easter, April 24, 1916, to the General Post Office at the center of the city. Other points were attacked as well but the GPO assault was the last to fall. What these few men were willing to risk here was the catalyst for a nation. It was a nation that would see a continuing war as many of the leaders (16 in all) were executed after surrendering.
A terrible urban guerrilla war was launched in 1917 by Michael Collins and other IRA leaders. It was countered by British forces, including over 8,000 "Black and Tans" (recruited from World War I ex-soldiers who couldn't find work in England) who came in 1919-20 to shore up the Royal Irish Constabulary and created some of the worst attacks on civilians since Oliver Cromwell's invasion in the 1650s.
In 1921, the Irish Free State was born out of a negotiated settlement by Collins and other Irish leaders with Lloyd George's government. Conflict over a demand of continued loyalty to the British King sparked a Civil War in Ireland with nationalists--a war that still scars Ireland today. There was great bloodshed over the full republic goals of Eamon DeVelera against the Free State advocates. Michael "Big Fella" Collins was assassinated for signing the Free State treaty.
By the 1930's DeValera was in power and the old IRA elements he once favored were outlawed. Ireland became an independent republic in the 1950's. But it all started here, and this song to me celebrates the terrible price men and women pay for wanting to govern themselves, a right mostly taken for granted in this world.
The opening clip from this video is from the Ken Loach film "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" from 2007. I would recommend that film to anyone who wants to see a searing drama about those times.
Facts about the uprising... from basicirishfacts.com
"The GPO on Sackville St was occupied at noon on Easter Monday 24 April and the Proclamation of Independence read out from the front of the building by Padraig Pearse.
"The GPO was occupied by a mixture of Irish Volunteers and Irish Citizen Army.
"Edward Daly commanding the 1st Battalion occupied The Four Courts, Mendicity Institute, Jameson’s Distillery, and North King St.
"Thomas McDonagh commanding the 2nd Battalion occupied Jacob’s Factory.
"Eamonn De Valera commanding the 3rd Battalion occupied Boland’s Mills, Landsdowne Road, Westland Row Station, Mount Street Bridge, and Northumberland Road.
"Eamonn Ceannt commanding the 4th Battalion occupied South Dublin Union, Marrowbone Lane, Roe’s Distillery, Ardee St Bakery, and Cork St.
Eamonn Ceannt’s second-in-command was Cathal Brugha.
"Michael Mallin commanding a unit of the Irish Citizen Army occupied St Stephen’s Green, Royal College of Surgeons.
"Michael Mallin’s second-in-command was Countess Markievicz.
"Séan Connolly, commanding a unit of the Irish Citizen Army, occupied City Hall
"The first casualty of the Rising was a 45-year-old unarmed policeman from Co Limerick, Constable James O’Brien.
"He was standing at the entrance to Dublin Castle shortly before noon on Easter Monday when a volunteer cycled up to the gate and shot him dead.
"Lt A.D. Chalmers, 14th Royal Fusiliers was in the GPO conducting business when the rebels entered and he became a prisoner of war.
"On 24 April, after an attack on Beggar's Bush Barracks, 2,500 reinforcements arrived from The Curragh.
"They retook City Hall and Séan Connolly was killed in the attack.
"He was the first rebel casualty.
"On 25 April Brigadier-General WH Lowe assumed command of British forces in Dublin. Reinforcements arrived from Belfast and Templemore and the rebels in St Stephens Green were forced back to the Royal College of Surgeons.
"Martial Law was also declared on 25 April.
"On 26 April HMY Helga began shelling rebel positions. The Mendicity Institute was recaptured.
"On 27 April British Forces regained control of Sackville Street and began shelling the GPO and The Four Courts.
"On 28 April General John Maxwell assumed command of all British Forces. The burning GPO was abandoned by rebel forces. The rebels retreated to Moore Street.
"On 29 April the insurgent leaders in Moore Street decided to negotiate a surrender.
"The emissary sent to make preliminary arrangements was Nurse Elizabeth O'Farrell, a member of Cumann na mBan.
"At 3.30pm Pearse surrendered to Brigadier-General Lowe at the corner of Sackville Street and Great Britain Street (now O'Connell Street and Parnell Street).
"At 3.45 pm the instrument of surrender was signed at British HQ at Parkgate.
"Due to several contradictory orders, volunteers in Cork and Tyrone dispersed on Sunday 23 May.
The Pogues have confirmed a short spring tour of the USA for 2011. The tour begins March 3 in Chicago and concludes on St. James Cagney Day in New York. Support will be Titus Andronicus.
March 3 - Chicago (Congress Theater) March 4 - Detroit (Royal Oak Music Theater) March 7 - Baltimore (Rams Head Live) March 8 - Washington DC (9:30 Club) March 9 - Washington DC (9:30 Club) March 11 - Boston (House of Blues) March 12 - Boston (House of Blues) March 15 - New York (Terminal 5) March 16 - New York (Terminal 5) March 17 - New York (Terminal 5)
318 insurgents and civilians were killed and 2,217 wounded. 
