"Mickey Gaughan"

Today (October 4th) would have been Mickey’s birthday. I offer this, not in hopes of resurrecting ‘the troubles’ but perhaps as a very small gesture towards reconciliation.

“Mickey Gaughan”

Mickey Gaughan and me 

Singing Rebel songs 

Deep into the night.

He’d play his records 

And I’d shout from the window

“Louder, Mickey, louder!”

We’d sing “Kevin Barry”

That I learned from

Tony Barry of Ennis

In County Clare.

Then “Brennan on the Moor”

And “They’re Hanging Men and Women

For The Wearing of the Green”

And while we loved

The raucous, militant

Songs of Rebellion

We also loved the quieter 

More poignant ones.

Like “The Foggy Dew”

Whose sweet words 

I first learned on the pillow

Of Beautiful Nonie Collins

Of Dublin Town.

And we’d finish with the haunting

“Glory-o Glory-o 

To the Bold Fenian Men”

***

I was never one of

The Brotherhood

And never would be.

I could not agree

With bombing civilians. 

Mickey knew that

And respected it too.

But we both had 

Deep convictions

About the ‘Rights of Man’

And the rights of men

To fight for their freedom.

And we loved the old songs

That told of the struggle

And man’s love of home

And family and freedom.

***

Apart from close family

I was probably 

The last friendly face

Mickey saw

Before they took him away

And murdered him!

“What’s up, Mickey?” I asked.

“They’re taking me

Across the road,” he replied,

“And I don’t think

They’ll let me come back!”

And true to their word

They didn’t!

***

You were a good friend

And neighbour, Mickey

And oh how I loved

The music we shared.

You were a good soldier

And you paid the

Ultimate price

For your beliefs.

If you didn’t achieve

Everything you fought for

You did put an end

To Force Feeding!

That most barbaric

And hideous of tortures!

And political prisoners 

For generations to come

Should thank you

For that!

And every Englishman 

In whose name

Such tortures

Were carried out,

Should thank you too!

I Thank you!

***

Goodbye old friend

I needn’t tell you 

I liked you well.

You the dedicated

Republican

And bold Volunteer

Me the ex Corporal British Army.

Perhaps we should

Have been enemies

But we,  both common men,

Found more that spoke of brotherhood

Than enmity

More common ground

Than differences

As we both suffered

Under Perfidious Albion’s 

Thumb!

***

I just wish

They’d written

A better song

About you than

“Take me back to Mayo!”

One that captured

The poetry of the Irish soul 

And the ‘Terrible Beauty’

To be found in the songs

We loved to sing

Window to window

In the night!

I am proud

To have known you

And to have called you 

Brother

Glory-o, Glory-o to you,

You Bold Fenian Man

***

R.I.P. Michael Gaughan 

5th October 1949 ~ 3rd June 1974

Soldier of the Irish Republican Army

Hunger Striker

Son and Brother

Friend

Copyright © Res JFB 5th October 2012