Grace
When Grace Gifford, the sister-in-law of Tomas MacDonagh, picked Easter Sunday 1916 as the date on which she was to marry Joseph Plunkett she had obviously no idea of the tragic events ahead of them.
Days before the planned wedding Joseph Plunkett, who suffered his entire life under respiration troubles, was admitted to the hospital and underwent an emergency operation.
On Easter Monday 1916, the day after the postponed wedding, Plunkett manned his post in the General Post Office (GPO) in Dublin to take part in the Easter Rising.
After the surrender of the rebels Joseph Plunkett was arrested and imprisoned in Kilmainham Gaol. Just hours before his execution on 4 May 1916 he married Grace Gifford in the jail chapel with two prison guards as witnesses.
Grace Gifford remained involved in the republican movement, especially in Sinn Féin, while earning a living as commercial artist.
She voted against the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which divided Ireland in Saorstát Éireann, or Irish Free State, and Northern Ireland, and during the Civil War she was imprisoned in Kilmainham Gaol for three months.
After the Civil War Gifford became a respected member of Dublin's cultural society until she died on 13 December 1955. Grace Gifford was buried on Glasnevin Cemetery with full military honour.
This is a love story to end all love stories, a sad one but a beautiful tragedyof two people caught between the love of a country and each other. Look at the song below and see if you can give me a poem that describes such an event between two people. For this contest seeing as it is irish I would love to see good rhyme here. And if you Youtube the song you will see how wonderful this melody is.
Grace
As we gather in the chapel here in old Kilmainham Jail
I think about these past few weeks, oh will they say we've failed?
From our school days they have told us we must yearn for liberty
Yet all I want in this dark place is to have you here with me
Oh Grace just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger
They'll take me out at dawn and I will die
With all my love I place this wedding ring upon your finger
There won't be time to share our love for we must say goodbye
Now I know it's hard for you my love to ever understand
The love I bare for these brave men, the love for my dear land
But when Pádraic called me to his side down in the GPO
I had to leave my own sick bed, to him I had to go
Oh, Grace just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger
They'll take me out at dawn and I will die
With all my love I'll place this wedding ring upon your finger
There won't be time to share our love for we must say goodbye
Now as the dawn is breaking, my heart is breaking too
On this May morn as I walk out, my thoughts will be of you
And I'll write some words upon the wall so everyone will know
I loved so much that I could see his blood upon the rose.
Oh, Grace just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger
They'll take me out at dawn and I will die
With all my love I'll place this wedding ring upon your finger
There won't be time to share our love for we must say goodbye
For we must say goodbye
Looking forward to this one...
Contest is Over
- Contest was judged on June 23
- Rewards: Gold: 2000, Silver: 1000, Bronze: 500
- Final notes: These three poems are worth reading and for us who are irish, we feel each and every word of these and are moved by them. Loved them!
Contest Winners
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As I trace my path of history
I found that old damp wall• Commented on by judge. [remove]
Gold trophy winner
Silver trophy winner
Bronze trophy winner
Entries [4]
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from each moment
there has been an usby solitarytear 49 lines, 4 comments, on Jun 7 5:48 AM. In Love, Thoughts, Life, Contest, Spiritual, Longing, Inspirational• Commented on by judge.
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Comments
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A touching story and a beautiful song. Thank you for sharing this bit of Irish history with us. Like a good many American's, I've a bit o' the Irish in me, too! Lita
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perhaps matant. i shall think on it.
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I would love to see you try some irish rhyme my dear
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will try.
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all i ask
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does it have to be explicitly about them?
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oh no hun, draw on your own experiences, this is just an example, or find a story that touches you the same way
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i have an original one for you.
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goodie
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This is a very heart-wrenching story...
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Congratulations to the winners!!
Thank you for hosting this wonderfully heart-felt contest, and for awarding my poem the golden chalice. Peace, xx Cyn 
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There ye go!
I said you'd get GOLD for this brilliant poem didn't i /
Slan
Gra...
Dolores xxx
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Go raíbh máith agat ma chara!!
Thanks for the silver, the story won the trophy!
Loves ya!
Slán xx
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