The Irish standard., 1902-02-08


In riches, land, and gold.
And Freedom points forever
10 thy pass, Thermopylae,
ITO teach mankind that tyrants
Cannot subjugate the free.
SHrigllt are the names i'll story,
4 Their fame the bosom thrills.
sfNNEo poured Il flood of glory
N on Rome's eternal hills;
#Rut there were men as dauntless,
And hearts as true and brave,
by Shannon's gushing waters.
AS e'er by Tiber's wave.
Unknown. unnamed. unspoken.
Their praise no minstrels sing:
For them no chord is woken,
No glories round them cling.
But never vet has freedom
J. Such brave defenders known,
\. AS those bold hearts who guarded
Il The old bridge Of Athone.
De Ginkle's Brandenlurgers
n Lay by the Shannon's side.
Il His naughty banner blazed and shonc
u In all it's strength and pride.
ETo storm the bridge before him
" He summoned one and all,
And fifteen thousand veterans
Responded to his call.
1 III dread and solemn silence
The Irish watched him come;
His solid columns proudly tread
10 roll of trump and drum;
A hundred guns in anger
Their fatal volleys pour,
!; And loudly echo DER the hills
Beyond the ShannOn's shore.
All! who will stem that torrent
Or block his stormy way?
In vain, brave hearts, ye labor,
! Strive e'er so well ye may.
q Not so, by Heaven! for yonder
N Against his foremost line
& A fierce and deadly rampant
" The Irish weapons shine.
A J1pon his massed battalions
II They leap with raging cheer,
HI The foemen fall before them,
4 Borne down by pike and spear.
M But numbers more succeeding,
M Their foremost stricken down,
W The Irish, weak and bleeding,
o,,1c.
ag ..IIo! comrades cried their leader,
n AS on the bridge he stood,
II His helmet dinged and battered
n And soiled with dust and blood:
1 'onc charge for Mother Ireland
Up with her banner high!
And if we cannot beat them back,
Well teach them how to die"
( "We'll hold the bridge against them.
Or sleep in Irish graves;
But who will dare it's planks to tear
And cast into the waves?
Already to our breastworks
Their foremost lines have crossed.
Quick, quick with axe, and sledge
and bar,
Or Athone town is lost"
Then out leaped Sergeant Custume
And his brave comrades ten,
Their hearts athirst for vengeance,
With souls of free-born men;
IF you will man the breastworks
Against the hireling crew,
We'll do for holy Ireland
" What Irishmeh should do"
With axe, and sledge. and hammer,
They leaped into the wave,
But ere one massive timber cracked
They met a bloody grave.
Ten more brave hearts sprang for
ward,
But soon the iron hail
In deadly shower belched fire ant
death
& Through corsclet, jack, and mail.
Ten more their comrades followed,
And leaped into the stream,
Ten more by death We're stricken
Ere tumhled plank or beam.
But see! it yields, it totters,
With fearful crash they fall
In one rude mass-bridge guns, ant
Il, horse,
And Brandenburgers all.
Fooled. beaten. and defeated,
The fierce De Gink1e fed,
His army broken, shattered,
The Shannon choked with dead.
Across the foaming waters
Came waited to his ear:
1--WE want no German hirelings,
No Saxon brigands' here"
Twas thus our fathers battled
'Gainst England's king and throne;
Twas thus they bravely guarded
The old bridge at Athlone;
And God he praised! in Ireland,
BY every hill and glen,
There's many a gallant Custume
To dare the same again.
WIN. Collins.
ANTRIM.
Chief Secretary Wyndham was the
O,incina1 rI1aSt Mt a luncheon given fr