“And who are you, if you please?” says he being astonished.

“A soldier am I” says I, directing him towards the gate (of the park), “a soldier in the army of the Repubic of Ireland ....”

“Am I dreaming?” says he “Republic of Ireland?”

He repeated that phrase three or four times trying to understand what was going on. If I had said that I was a oman soldier and that Julius Caesar was my leader , the poor man would not have been more surprised.

At last he said:

“Whisper to me , young man,” he says, “what date is it”

“Easter monday”

“Yes, yes , but the year?”

“1916”

If one saw him then, trying to make sense out of the world! His look would make saint Paul laugh.

I helped him.

“There is a revolution happening” says I.

“A revolution?”

“Yes a revolution against the English.”

He rose up. He put a soldierly appearance on himself.

“Will you take me as a soldier?”

He was serious about it. I did not know what to do. A man A man – and we neede men. I took him to my captain.

2005-03-07T17:50:36