Ideals of Nineteen and Sixteen
Author: Donal Morrissey

Ideals of Nineteen and Sixteen
Author: Donal Morrissey

Donal contrasts problems in Ireland of today with the ideals of the people of 1916, and finds today wanting.

In that chilling trial court hall,
We heard the victim called,
Filled with fear of what he’d say,
Cause he failed to pay his way,
Will his home not be his own?
Seems like eviction the following day.

In his second court recall,
His hopes soon hit the wall,
Didn’t get a chance to say,
Or explain why he can’t pay,
Lost his job and lost all hope,
He was made homeless the following day.

Where’s the ideals of nineteen sixteen,
These sad abandoned souls, it’s so obscene,
How can you endorse such callous evictions?
While you bail out banks costing billions,
You’ve sullied the ideals of nineteen sixteen.

At that fateful town park wall,
Sure, God did hear his call,
Unaware of what was nigh,
On the street you let him die,
This sad case you’ll hear no cry,
Just a statistic the following day.

In these tragic shameful times,
Of banker’s mortgage crimes,
See the state fund their bail-out,
While fam’lies suffer wipe-out,
By the banks survival creed,
Eviction with intoxicated greed.

Where’s the ideals of nineteen sixteen,
These sad abandoned souls, it’s so obscene,
How can you endorse such callous evictions?
While you bail out banks costing billions,
You’ve sullied the ideals of nineteen sixteen.