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Authors: Gerard Whelan
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it up. I just wish I could get some of that for you as well.’
‘No,’ Jimmy said. ‘That’s for the fighting men. Mick?’ Mick looked at him. ‘I’m glad you found your cause again,’ Jimmy said. ‘Really.’
Mick laid a hand on Jimmy’s shoulder. ‘You’re a good kid, Jimmy,’ he said. ‘Look after your Ma and your sisters now. You’re all they have.’
It was only as he started back up Grafton Street that it hit Jimmy: Mick talked as if he didn’t expect to come out of this alive.
10
THE HORDE
WHEN JIMMY REACHED SACKVILLE STREET AGAIN he saw that crowds were gathering. People stood and watched the Post Office as though the building itself were going to do something. They looked like people at a pantomime or a play. Many cursed the Volunteers, but they did it quietly, in worried voices. There were no soldiers or policemen tobe seen. Even the dead Lancers had been taken away. Only the Volunteers were on the street in uniform, coming and going on mysterious errands or making barricades on sidestreets.
Jimmy saw a large group of people standing at Nelson’s Pillar looking at a notice that was posted there. He hesitated, then went over to see what it was. He pushed to the front of the crowd and looked; it was a poster the rebels had put up.
At the top were some words in Irish. Beneath them was written, in large letters: THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT OF THE IRISH REPUBLIC – TO THE PEOPLE OF IRELAND . Jimmy didn’t know what ‘provisional’ meant, and many of the words that followed were strange too.
‘What does it mean?’ he asked a man with a moustache.
The man looked down at him haughtily and answered with an English accent.
‘It means nothing at all,’ he said, ‘except that you’re all mad here.’
Another man told Jimmy that the Volunteers had declared Ireland an independent country – a republic, whatever that was.
At the bottom of the declaration were the names of the new government’s members; among them was Thomas Clarke, the old shopkeeper. Mr Pearse and Mr Connolly’s names were there too.
When Jimmy finally reached home little had changed.Sarah was delirious, burning with fever and Ma looked even more exhausted; she’d been awake now for the better part of two days and two nights. She took Jimmy’s bad news well, almost as though she’d expected it. When he gave her Mick’s parcel she held it in her hand, looking at it, and said nothing.
Jimmy was going to suggest that he should now go over to Ella’s to try and get the money, but something told him not to mention the idea. He was sure Ma would forbid it, and if she did then he’d have to obey her. If he didn’t mention the subject he could always go later if he had to. And there was always the chance – a small chance – that Ella had just been delayed. Jimmy didn’t believe it, but it was only fair to wait. Everyone deserved a chance.
Meanwhile there was not much he could do to help Ma except to stay out of her way. She’d arranged that Josie should stay up in Doyles’ for a couple of days. It would be terrible if she caught the fever too. As for Jimmy, he would just have to take his chances. He wouldn’t leave Ma to cope alone. When he told her this, she hugged him.
‘God bless you, son,’ she said.
Jimmy spent the rest of the morning prowling the room like a caged animal. He was bursting with curiosity, but Ma wouldn’t let him out again.
‘You can go out later,’ she said, ‘if it stays quiet.’
In the afternoon Sarah seemed to sleep naturally. Her breathing got quieter. Ma let Jimmy persuade her to liedown too. ‘I’ll call you if anything happens,’ he assured her.
Ma was asleep almost as soon as she lay down. Jimmy made himself sit quietly in her chair, though it was torture for him. He kept imagining what might be happening in Sackville Street.
It was late afternoon when Ma woke. She looked over at Sarah. ‘Any change?’ she asked.
‘She snored a bit,’ said Jimmy. ‘But that’s
‘No,’ Jimmy said. ‘That’s for the fighting men. Mick?’ Mick looked at him. ‘I’m glad you found your cause again,’ Jimmy said. ‘Really.’
Mick laid a hand on Jimmy’s shoulder. ‘You’re a good kid, Jimmy,’ he said. ‘Look after your Ma and your sisters now. You’re all they have.’
It was only as he started back up Grafton Street that it hit Jimmy: Mick talked as if he didn’t expect to come out of this alive.
10
THE HORDE
WHEN JIMMY REACHED SACKVILLE STREET AGAIN he saw that crowds were gathering. People stood and watched the Post Office as though the building itself were going to do something. They looked like people at a pantomime or a play. Many cursed the Volunteers, but they did it quietly, in worried voices. There were no soldiers or policemen tobe seen. Even the dead Lancers had been taken away. Only the Volunteers were on the street in uniform, coming and going on mysterious errands or making barricades on sidestreets.
Jimmy saw a large group of people standing at Nelson’s Pillar looking at a notice that was posted there. He hesitated, then went over to see what it was. He pushed to the front of the crowd and looked; it was a poster the rebels had put up.
At the top were some words in Irish. Beneath them was written, in large letters: THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT OF THE IRISH REPUBLIC – TO THE PEOPLE OF IRELAND . Jimmy didn’t know what ‘provisional’ meant, and many of the words that followed were strange too.
‘What does it mean?’ he asked a man with a moustache.
The man looked down at him haughtily and answered with an English accent.
‘It means nothing at all,’ he said, ‘except that you’re all mad here.’
Another man told Jimmy that the Volunteers had declared Ireland an independent country – a republic, whatever that was.
At the bottom of the declaration were the names of the new government’s members; among them was Thomas Clarke, the old shopkeeper. Mr Pearse and Mr Connolly’s names were there too.
When Jimmy finally reached home little had changed.Sarah was delirious, burning with fever and Ma looked even more exhausted; she’d been awake now for the better part of two days and two nights. She took Jimmy’s bad news well, almost as though she’d expected it. When he gave her Mick’s parcel she held it in her hand, looking at it, and said nothing.
Jimmy was going to suggest that he should now go over to Ella’s to try and get the money, but something told him not to mention the idea. He was sure Ma would forbid it, and if she did then he’d have to obey her. If he didn’t mention the subject he could always go later if he had to. And there was always the chance – a small chance – that Ella had just been delayed. Jimmy didn’t believe it, but it was only fair to wait. Everyone deserved a chance.
Meanwhile there was not much he could do to help Ma except to stay out of her way. She’d arranged that Josie should stay up in Doyles’ for a couple of days. It would be terrible if she caught the fever too. As for Jimmy, he would just have to take his chances. He wouldn’t leave Ma to cope alone. When he told her this, she hugged him.
‘God bless you, son,’ she said.
Jimmy spent the rest of the morning prowling the room like a caged animal. He was bursting with curiosity, but Ma wouldn’t let him out again.
‘You can go out later,’ she said, ‘if it stays quiet.’
In the afternoon Sarah seemed to sleep naturally. Her breathing got quieter. Ma let Jimmy persuade her to liedown too. ‘I’ll call you if anything happens,’ he assured her.
Ma was asleep almost as soon as she lay down. Jimmy made himself sit quietly in her chair, though it was torture for him. He kept imagining what might be happening in Sackville Street.
It was late afternoon when Ma woke. She looked over at Sarah. ‘Any change?’ she asked.
‘She snored a bit,’ said Jimmy. ‘But that’s
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