IRISH AIRES PAST COLUMNS

GERALDINE WRITES . . . On March 12, 2005 I interviewed on the telephone Mr. Wright. He has been investigating the life of Father Coyle. A story that needs to be told. The story of Father James E. Coyle’s life and death can be read at this web site: www.fathercoyle.org Fr. Coyle was born in Drum, Athlone, County Roscommon This poem expresses his love for his adopted country the USA. OUR NATIONAL FLAG Rev. James E. Coyle Do they dare, do they dare, to say we love not thee, That we love thee not Old Glory, that floats above the free. That we’re traitors to the Nation, that we cannot both be true To the glorious Church Christ founded, and the Red, White and Blue. They say the Roman Pontiff may ask us to betray The glorious flag of Freedom’s land, and we must needs obey. We must haul down at his behest, and in the mire must drag The folds of dear Old Glory, our nation’s glorious flag. Oh, they lie, they lie and know it, the base and bigot crew Who say such things do basely lie. They know that we are true. They know full well, that all the years that saw Old Glory wave Saw sons of Mother Church stand staunch, the bravest of the brave. We’ve shed our blood on many a field, we’ve fought on every sea For the Stars and Stripes, the Nation’s flag of the brave and the free. Again we swear if called to fight, we’ll gladly, proudly go To man your ships and serve your gun's gainst any foreign foe. We’ll go, and Holy Church will bless the guns and swords of ours, We use to bring destruction dire' gainst any hostile powers. Our love of Country does not change the love to God we bear. God and our Country, both we love, for both we’ll do and dare. Pray when did Pontiff message send, to ask us traitors be To that dear flag, the Stars and Stripes, that waves above the free? Not any year, of all the years since first Old Glory flew Were sons of Church base traitor knaves. No, they were leal and true. And leal and true are we today, we’ll follow where it waves; We’ll follow even though if floats above our foreign graves. We’ve sworn to serve that Glorious Flag, Let’s swear the oath anew, Our flag, Old Glory, Freedom’s Flag, the Red and White and Blue.