Ryan Dunne

Working in watercolors on my first Crankie puppet show based on the song the Foggy Dew. The song details the people and events surrounding the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin City.

"o'er a shining blade, a vow it was made, to Ireland we will remain true." The signatories of the Irish proclamation (Inspired by the American Declaration of Independence) knew they were signing their death warrants. The vow was to bring independence and freedom to the Irish people.

Irish volunteers marching to Dublin to fight in the Rising. James Connolly and James Larkin said the significance of the banner was that a free Ireland would control its own destiny from the plough to the stars.

“Right proud and high o’er a Dublin Sky, they raised their flag of war.”

“‘twas better to die neath an Irish Sky, than at Suvla or Sedd el Bahr,” The Easter Rising, which began the Irish War of Independence started on 24 April 1916, almost exactly a year after the Landing at Suvla Bay that was part of the Gallipoli Campaign. The song refers to the lie that if enough Irish fought for Britain in WW1 they’d consider Irish independence thousands went and died, it would have been better to die for Irelands independence than in foreign wars. ..

“For slavery fled, oh glorious dead;
when you fell in the foggy dew...”

At four minutes past noon on Easter Monday, April 24th, 1916, from the steps of the General Post Office Patrick Pearse read the Proclamation of the Republic

First shadow puppet for my Crankie, The Foggy Dew which premiered on April 20th in Charlottesville at the Snowing in Space Coffee House!

Grace Gifford and Joseph Mary Plunkett were due to be married Easter Sunday of 1916. But of course the timing of the rebellion saw those plans undone.