On Easter Monday of 1916, the first shot of the Easter Uprising was fired. Six members of the Irish Citizen Army shot a policeman on the streets of Dublin in the head. This was the start of a new era, an era where Ireland would be free. Pearse, the Commander in chief of the Irish Citizen Army, and Connolly, the leader of the Dublin division, led the main body of troops through Dublin to the General Post Office. The G.P.A. became the rebels' headquarters for the six-day battle against the British Army. There were heavy casualties on the British side, but the Irish were still unsuccessful. There statement was made though, and they surrendered on the following Sunday. Two thousand people were arrested that day, and the leaders

were put to death. Even though the original opinion of the people about the uprising wasn't in favor of it,

To this day Ireland still lacks its northern six counties. The problem with making them part of Ireland is that the British have moved many people from England over there, so that they now make up the majority. So, when a vote is taken to see the amount of people who want to be part of Ireland, it's only the minority. The troubles there have become religious because the Irish tend to be Catholic, and the English tend to be Protestant. The Protestants and the British Army run the police force and they either do not help the Catholics out at all, or they treat them very harshly and often times kill them. This problem has attempted to be solved; always ending in failure, including a peace agreement that fell out early this summer.(Coogan, "The Rebels", pgs.67-81)

All of the events that have been mentioned have greatly affected Irish music, even starting way before the Easter Uprising. For example, "Solas", a popular Irish band, has a song called My Johnny's Gone for a Soldier. In this song a women sings about her husband being a member of the "Wild Geese", a group of men that went to France to get help for the Irish cause after they were crushed by the British in 1601. The meaning of the song is that she understands why her husband had to go, and that she, too, would do almost any thing to help. One line in particular says it well; "I'll sell my rack I'll sell my reel, I'll sell my only spinning wheel, and buy my love a sword of steel".(Solas, 1996- track-4)

Wrecking little homes with scorn. Heedless of the crying children, Dragging fathers from their beds, Beating sons while helpless mothers, Watched the blood flow from their heads." In Northern Ireland the Irish have no rights to any form of trial, due to the fact that the British run the police force. Another line from this song tells of this: "Not for them a judge or jury, Or indeed a crime at all. Being Irish means they're guilty, So we're guilty one and all." (Wolftones,  1995, track-6) Another problem in the North is that they are not allowed to display the Republic's flag, also known as the wearing of the green. And there is a song by that title that sings about this. One line goes: " She's got the most distressful country that ever yet has seen, For they're hanging men and women for the wearing of the green." Another goes like this: " So if the color we must wear be England's cruel red, let it remind us of the blood that Irishmen have shed." This song has!

Some common words found in the essay are:
Michael Collins, Ireland Irish, Clancy Brothers, Geese France, British Irish, North British, British Army, Affects Music, Irish Republic, Collins Ireland, michael collins, ireland irish, irish music, motor car, civil war, michael collins pgs,  1994, clancy brothers, i'll sell,  1995, red white, red white blue, clancy brothers , irish citizen army, wolftones  1995,
Approximate Word count = 1882
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)