In November 2015 Ms. Townshend’s First Year computer classes entered a poetry competition that was run by the Jackie Clarke Foundation. Jackie Clarke, from Ballina Co. Mayo, was a business man and collector of Irish historical material. Events such as this poetry competition are run by the foundation to promote a knowledge and love of Irish history in our young people.
To our delight Amy Noonan, Ellenjane O’Brien and Seána O’Grady from 1K received first prize for their poem about the 1798 rebellion.
1798 Rebellion
by Seána O’Grady, Amy Noonan and Ellenjane O’Brien
United Irishmen searched for
Equality and liberty in the hope they would
get unity
Protestants, Presbyterians and Catholics
shared the belief of a better life but at times
it was hard for them to do it without the
grief
Men struggling to survive, men dying on all
sides
Screams of pain, a dusty cloud
Struggling to survive crawling on the ground
The inhumanity of it all one last breath, one
last wish one last fall