In Memory of those Twenty Four St.Columbas" First XI players who died on active service in the two World Wars.
The rain beats down: Pavilion-shelter gained,
Both teams pace to and fro, in anxious mood,
Impatient to resume, like tigers chained.
Silent, through sensing I should not intrude,
I face our bygone teams on wooden panels,
Since 1857 in our Annals.
The rain beats down: hardened, I’ve turned my back
Upon the gloomy sight of flooded ground,
Scanning those names, immortalised in black,
Which here, year after year, in lists abound:
When current voices, querulous, accost
My ears with “dreadful tragedy… points lost…”
“Lost…tragedy…” – this triggers off the thought
Of marble lists the Chapel walls contain,
Part-duplicated on these walls. Distraught,
My mind now switches to those fields of pain
Where Twenty Four of these, to no applause,
Laid down their lives to serve a righteous Cause.
These, who had played at College Park, Rathmines,
Woodbrook, Rathfarnham, Wicklow, Greystones, Kells,
Were slaughtered in the foremost fighting lines:
THE SOMME, YPRES, PASSCHENDAELE, THE DARDANELLES.
But here, above that field where they once played,
Their names remain, on Cricketing Parade.
DE RINZI, BRENNAN, SHAW, SMYTH, NEALE, READ, SCOTT,
HONE, FINLAY, PATTERSON, WEBB, CROOKSHANK, EAGAR,
On foreign fields were gassed, dismembered, shot,
Like HINDS, JONES, BEATTY, HILL. Their prize a meagre
Memorial in chiselled stone, as gratitude,
Since deep-felt loss finds refuge in a platitude.
The rain beats down: play cannot be resumed.
“Resumed”…along the lists I proudly glance:-
KNOX-PERKINS, GRIFFITH, MARTIN, NORTHRIDGE – doomed.
McCLINTOCK, LIDDLE, H.E.OSWALD (France).
All Twenty Four in St.Columba’s Annals
Appearing both in Khaki and in Flannels.
“Abandoned!” Now the players trudge away,
Cursing the bitter blows of hostile fate…
But all will live to fight another day,
Unlike the Twenty Four. I contemplate
Their two Memorials. Placed here among
Their fellow cricketers, they live, still young.
Morgan Dockrell, May 1993 [published variously in the UK and Ireland]
During a rained-off match in May 1993, the St.Columba's College Sesquicentennial Year, I spent some time in the pavilion, studying the names of our First XIs since 1857.It struck me that there were other 'lists' of Names in the College Chapel, honouring those who had died in the two World Wars. I had my verse tribute in outline. I only had to find out how many names were common to both lists: those who had worn both khaki and flannels, then recollect my emotion in tranquillity. This is the result. As both the College 'Poppy Man' [Royal British Legion] and the MiCC for many years, I wanted to pay tribute to our 102 War victims, 72 from World War I alone, particularly to the cricketers.
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