| Clare County Library | Songs of Clare |
| Clare County Library | Songs of Clare |
|
I Don’t Mind if I Do Inagh |
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King George met Joe Devlin a short time
ago, To the palace they rambled – T.P. he was there, ‘Sinn Feiners’, said Georgie, ‘are
spoiling my plan. ‘Behind prison walls they should all be’,
said Joe. ‘That’s right’, said T.P., ‘I
agree with you there. The flag of Sinn Fein everywhere it do fly, ‘Recruiting’, said Mary, ‘is now
very low. |
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| “According to historical
accounts the 1910 British General Election left the Liberals as a minority
government dependent upon the votes of Irish Nationalist parliamentarians
so, in order to gain their support, Prime Minister Herbert Asquith, introduced
legislation that would give Ireland Home Rule; the bill was opposed by
the Conservatives and Unionists. Desperate to avoid the prospect of Civil
War in Ireland, King George V called a meeting of all parties at Buckingham
Palace in July 1914 in an attempt to negotiate a settlement. After four
days the conference ended without an agreement so, on 18 September 1914,
the King, having considered vetoing the legislation, gave his assent to
the Home Rule Bill after it had been passed by Westminster. Its implementation
was postponed due to the outbreak of the First World War. Joseph Devlin,
mentioned in the song, was an Irish journalist and influential nationalist
politician, a member of the British parliament for the Irish Parliamentary
Party. This wonderful parody commemorates ‘The Buckingham Palace
Meeting’.” Jim Carroll |
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