An Rinn Mhór - Séipéal an Gharasúin

Publication Instance Details #2186

Publication Overview

Translation	Is Multilingual	Explicit Irish Context?	Ekphrasis	Has Paratext?	Reference to News, Media or Technology
No	No	Yes	No	No	No

Details

Human Rights Issues	War
War / Genocide Referenced	War: Second Anglo-Boer War
Irish Context	Colonization and Colonial Legacy (Ireland) Specific Irish place or place-name mentioned
Languages	Irish
Genre	Short Lyric
Medium	Print Collection
Notes	The speaker of the poem spots a plaque commemorating members of the Connaught Rangers, who were killed during the Anglo-Boer War at the beginning of the 20th Century: the Connaught Rangers fought in South Africa in the Boer War, like other Irish regiments. The speaker of the poem laments how they have been forgotten by the Irish people, and that all that remains of them and their sacrifices is a plaque, observed by those who don't care. There names are not being read out at the commemorative mass which the speaker is attending. The poem highlights the selective commemorations of Irish soldiers, with those who fought in colonial wars scarcely remembered by the Irish people.