Tomás Pádraig Ághas – Thomas Ashe
The Thomas Ashe Community Group organised a series of events to commemorate the centenary of the martyrdom of Thomas Ashe, culminating in a day-long celebration on Saturday 30th September 2017 in Round Towers Lusk GAA Club, Thomas Ashe Park. This community event included the official unveiling of a 7ft sculpture of Thomas Ashe by local artist and sculptor Mr Paul Darcy, juvenile & senior GAA matches, children’s entertainment, historical talks, traditional music and Irish dancing for everyone to enjoy.
The programme of events from that memorable day can be downloaded here.
The Thomas Ashe commemorative booklet is available to purchase in Howley’s Family Butchers and Lusk Post Office. The booklet is filled with great stories and photos, which would make an ideal gift for friends and families overseas. €10 for one or €15 for two.
Tomás Pádraig Ághas (12 January 1885 – 25 September 1917) was a member of the Gaelic League, the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and a founding member of the Irish Volunteers.
Born in Lispole, County Kerry, Thomas Ashe entered De La Salle Training College, Waterford, in 1905 and he began his teaching career as principal of Corduff National School, Lusk, County Dublin, in 1908. He spent the last years before his death teaching children in Lusk where he founded the award-winning Black Raven Pipe Band as well as Round Towers Lusk GFHC in 1906. During the summer of 1913, he was one of the IRB members that Douglas Hyde, president of the Gaelic League, attempted to expel.
Commanding the Fingal battalion of the Irish Volunteers, Ashe took part in the Easter Rising of 1916. Ashe’s force of 60-70 men engaged British forces around north County Dublin during the rising. The battalion won a major victory in Ashbourne, County Meath where they engaged a much larger force capturing a significant quantity of arms and up to 20 Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) vehicles. 24 hours after the rising collapsed, Ashe’s battalion surrendered on the orders of Padraig Pearse
Ashe wrote the words and music of Let me carry your cross for Ireland Lord while incarcerated in Lewes Prison in England in 1917:
Let me Carry your cross for Ireland, Lord
The hour of her trial draws near,
And the pangs and the pains of the sacrifice
May be borne by comrades dear.
But, Lord, take me from the offering throng,
There are many far less prepared,
Through anxious and all as they are to die
That Ireland may be spared.
Let me carry your Cross for Ireland, Lord
My cares in this world are few.
And few are the tears will for me fall
When I go on my way to You.
Spare. Oh! Spare to their loved ones dear
The brother and son and sire.
That the cause we love may never die
In the land of our Heart’s desire!
Let me carry your Cross for Ireland, Lord!
Let me suffer the pain and shame
I bow my head to their rage and hate,
And I take on myself the blame.
Let them do with my body whate’er they will,
My spirit I offer to You.
That the faithful few who heard her call
May be spared to Roisin Dubh.
Let me carry your Cross for Ireland, Lord!
For Ireland weak with tears,
For the aged man of the clouded brow,
And the child of tender years;
For the empty homes of her golden plains;
For the hopes of her future, too!
Let me carry your Cross for Ireland, Lord!
for the cause of Roisin Dubh.
