842
AN GAODHAL.
NOW OR NEVER!
From Songs for Freedom, by Rev. M. J. McHale.
Now or never! brothers all
Now or never.
Come and stand at Ireland’s call,
Now or never,
Pledge yourselves whate’er befall
You shall burst your long-wrong thrall,
Now or never.
Now is the time to prove you men,
Now or never.
On every hill side, every glen,
Now or never.
Let every man, with voice and pen
Now or never.
Aid the cause, the hour is when ?
Now or never.
Hear and heed the voice of time
Now or never.
Crown your glorious manhood's prime
Now or never.
Down with every long curst crime,
Up with Freedom's Flag sublime,
Now or never,
Down with every traitor knave,
Now or never,
Up with every honest slave,
Now or never.
Better fall as fall the brave,
Than fill a starveling's famished grave,
Now or never.
See; the sun above us shows,
Now as never.
Daily darker like our woes
Now as never.
And the land nows no repose,
Like an earthquake in its throes
Now as never.
See, the Famine Spectre sweeps,
Now as never.
And we know the sheaves he reaps,
Now as ever.
And we dread the famished heaps,
While our flesh with horror creeps,
Now as never.
Now as never, as we cry,
Now as ever.
Was there need that God on high,
Now if ever.
Help should send the millions cry
Ere they sicken, and they die
As in dismal years gone by,
Now or never.
Martyrs of this ancient Race
Now as never.
Pray for us your ancient grace
Now as never.
We may gain before earth's face
Freedom for our long-wronged race,
Our own at last, our rightful place,
Now or never.
By the memory of our dead,
Now or never,
By our grave-pits crammed and red
Now or never.
By our life-blood hourly shed —
Tyrants' blood that hourly fed —
By our misery drear and dread
Now or never.
Up, this stricken Nation pleads,
Now or never.
With its tear-drops on its beads,
Now as never.
Up to Him who hears and heeds
All a patient peoples' needs
Now as ever.
God above us we implore,
Now as never,
Thou wilt aid us more and more,
Now as never.
By our bleeding hearts and sore —
By the wrongs our fathers bore —
By the Faith they ne’er foreswore —
NOW OR NEVER.
Famine, 1880
CONVERSATION IN IRISH.
At a recent meeting of the Tuam Board of Guar¬
dians the following conversation took place bet¬
ween the guardians and an old man 88 years old,
named John Furey. —
Chairman — What do you want us
to do for you?
Furey — Beagán fóirinte, a mhuirnín.
Chairman — Nach bh-fuil Béarla agat?
Furey — Maiseadh, dheamhan focal
Béarla labhair mé ariamh.
Chairman — Cia 'n aois a ta tú?
Furey — Taim ocht m-bliadhna agus
ceithre fichidh.
Chairman — He was born in 1800.
Mr. Nohilly — Rugadh thú an bhliadhain
a greamuigheadh Éire de Shacsania.
Chairman — B' olc an bhliadhain a rug¬
adh thú — an bhliadhain a thug Sacsania
an parliament as Éirinn.
Furey — Maiseadh mh'anam go m-b'olc,
a mhuirnín.
Chairman — Mairfidh tú le congnamh
Dé go dtigidh an parliament air ais.
Furey — B fhéidir le Dia sin, a mhuirnín.
Chairman — Bhéirfidh sinn-ne congnamh
dhuit
Furey — Maiseadh, saoghal fada le
seun agaibh.
Chairman — This poor man must get
relief.
Mr. Walsh — Peremptory, no one
will object.
Relief was granted.
TUAM News.
thú
[We have frequently called attention to the Tuam
News. Those who read it will be well posted on
matters transpiring in the South and West of Ire¬
land. Its price is reduced to two cents a week.]
