Proud

by Anne Gaynor

I do so proudly stand
On the shoulders of my ancestors,
Brave men and women who
Loved the harp and shamrock
And those who went before them.
I now carry you in me
To remind me of love, freedom, family,
Friends and neighbours.
How you struggled so I could be free.
Thank you for being part of me.

Reproduced with kind permission of the author. This poem was composed in Poetry as Commemoration workshops held at Newbridge Library in January 2023. The workshops were led by writer Debbie Thomas and archivist Karel Kiely using archival material from the Curragh Internment Camp during the War of Independence.