Reflections on the Irish Revolution, 1923

by Mary Dunne-Tobin

Under the Spanish Arch,
facing the Claddagh and Atlantic Ocean,
the museum attempts to reveal your stories
women of the revolution
women of Cumann na mBan

We step back one hundred years;
trying to understand what brought you here.

Invasion. Famine. Poverty
caused you to rise up
with your faith as a shield, towards
martyrdom
and our freedom.

This poem was composed during a series of creative writing workshops for Comhrá na mBan Centenary Writers Group led by Emily Cullen at Westside Library, Galway during September – December 2023, as part of ‘Reflections – A Commemoration of the Irish Women of 1923.’ This initiative was presented by Galway City Council, Galway Public Libraries & Galway City Museum & supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media.