A Communiqué from the Four Courts

by Annette Condon

Misguided, former colleagues.
Four Court occupiers.
The irregulars.
Anti-treaty forces.
We attack at 4.07 with
rifle, machine and field pieces.
Damage.
Surrender slight.
Glorious boys.
Stand for Ireland alone.
Brave boys.
Dead brothers.
Father Albert, Father Dominic.
Love.
Fight to the end.
Stop press.

Reproduced with kind permission of the author. This poem was composed in a Poetry as Commemoration workshop at the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) on 12th of October, 2023. The workshops were led by poet Christodoulos Makris.

This poem was inspired by Poblacht na h-Eireann War News No.1, 28th June, 1922. UCD Special Collections.