Last Saturday we met up early near Atocha and boarded two coaches bound for the civil war battlefield of Jarama where many members of the Fifth International Brigade had fought against Franco and his nationalist army.
The last Irish member Bob Doyle died on the 22nd of January aged 92 and he had battled all his life from the strrets of Dublin to Jarama and beyond.
We were a motley crew of Spaniards with political affilitions to the cause, ex pats who were interested in the civil war but of the left bank and some whose family had fought for the Republican cause.
Even the olives were bleeding and as we made our way around the battlefield with trenches and bunkers still in place seventy years after the battle, one felt much emotion and hope that in these dark days, we might rediscover their ideals.
There were talks in Spanish and English about this major event in world history interspersed with poetry readings, songs and a lone piper played. We held minutes of silence for those who fell in thes stony hills and for Bob Doyle the last to fall.
We retired to Meson El Cid to dine on fine baby lamb and local wine before a visit to the museum which contained photos of O´Duffy and Ryan showing the Irish had taken both sides in that terrible bloodbath. Truth and love against the force of evil.
Viva la Quienta Brigada¡
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2 comentarios:
Good stuff. We're moving away fromstories of Frankie's general woes to the loftier ideals of history and general culture. Keep it up!
Good on ya! Now help out the descendants of the victims of Franco and get yourself to San Sebastian and campaign for Ibarratxe!
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