O' Sullivan Beare/ Great Speeches

Great Speeches.   

Listening to Aidan Dooley on the RTE Arts and Culture show last night talking about his new one man show on O' Sullivan Beare reminded me of a book I read a number of years ago, and of a conversation we were having around the camp fires during the long wait for the "off" prior to a battle I won't mention again for a while! Anyway the talk got around to Aughrim in 1691 and the number of casualties there (don't ask!), but there was another Battle of Aughrim on the 10th of January 1603 which brings me to the above. Following the defeat at Kinsale in 1601 O' Sullivan held out until New Year's Eve 1602 when he set out on an epic journey north to join Hugh O' Neill. To do so he would have to traverse most of Ireland and of the 1000 who set out on the journey with him only 35 made it into O' Rourke's Castle at Leitrim Fort. And to the speech! Written down later by his nephew Phillip who was in Spain at the time, is it word for word, who knows! Anyway caught at Aughrim with forces on both sides he addressed his followers.

O' Sullivan Beare. From "Endurance" by Dermot Sommers.

Since our desperate fortunes have left us here without means or country, wives or children to fight for, the struggle with our enemies before us now is for our bare lives;  we have nothing else that we can lose... In God's eternal name I ask you, men, will you not rather fall gloriously in battle, avenging your blood, than die like brute cattle in a cowardly fight? Our ancestors would never seek to avoid an honourable death. Let us follow in the footsteps of our sires: there is no other salvation. See around you the country is bare of woods or bog; there is no concealment; the people of these parts offer us no aid. Roads and passes are blocked, even if we had the strength to fly. Our only hope is in our own courage, and the strength of our own arms.... Remember that everywhere hitherto, enemies who attacked us were routed by the Divine Mercy. Victory is the gift of God... Fear not this worthless mob:  they are not men of such fame as we, nor used to fight as we are...

Quoting from "Endurance" the Battle of Aughrim 1603 was a stunning victory for O' Sullivan.

The above was sourced from "Endurance" by Dermot Sommers./ The O' Brien Press Dublin.

Photo: Book Cover.

 

Mark Antony's Speech

Listening to "The History Show" on FM106-108 a while back I came across an exert from this speech by Marlon Brando and if you can beat this you're doing well. The film is from 1953 and it is Brando at his very best. It is also included in "Speeches that changed the world" ( Bounty Books 2006) and from that source while they credit good ole Will Shakespeare they also acknowledge the writings of Dion Cassius and Plutarch. Anyway, just sit back and enjoy! With thanks to youtube and "Pochido" who posted it

Great Speeches.

Great Speeches.

Once upon a time I inherited a desk and drawer, or to be more accurate made use of, and nothing extraordinary about that you might think except that the drawer contained a copy of the oxford companion to something or other and it was nice to sit there in the afternoons and leaf through the pages. Rank has its privileges and more than that since I was surrounded by english teachers who were of the opinion that bean counters and technocrats were best removed out the back, and hard to disagree with them on that even if they couldn't switch things on or off, or open a lock, they were good company, and it is easy to impress with Christopher Marlowe or Sheridan Le Fanu at your fingertips. Nothing remains if I can borrow from a poet except a few lines from Shakespeare or Milton or a word or two from Churchill, though given the times that we live in "In the name of God go" springs to mind. I can't remember many Irish quotes from the book though Oscar made it in and Daniel O' Connell featured if I remember right, and so he should, and when I left I put the book back in the drawer for the next incumbent, if that's the right word. It wasn't mine to begin with! I went looking for great Irish speeches and there are more than a few, but the one below, well take a look...

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Photo: Me and some Falcon, or was it an Owl? Tara/Heritage Sunday.