The Women's Stories

by Sinéad Griffin

And then there were the women’s stories,

The ones not told

The things they knew but kept silent.

Those young lads on the run,

Or on manoeuvres in the mountains

Fighting that pagan country. 

And the women kept their secrets. 

Reproduced with kind permission of the author. This poem was composed in Poetry as Commemoration workshops held at The Pearse Museum, Dublin, in October 2022. The workshops were led by writer Kevin McDermott.

Cover image: Pension application form of Annie Coyne of Aughagower, Westport, Co. Mayo, 30th May 1951
Collection: Military Service Pensions Collection
Reference: MSP34REF51978. Archive: Military Archives

Themes

1919 , 1920 , 1921 , 1922 , 1923 , Anti-Treaty , Black & Tans , Civil War , English Language , Mayo , Republican , War of Independence , Women , Workshop Poem