Sinne Éire – We are Ireland. ‘S tá’n cinneadh anois fúinn fhéin – And the decision is now up to us.
Amhr​á​n na nGael, Song of the Gaels

If you ever walked down the steps to the Conradh, it’s Club or Bar to be precise, you’ll have seen the chorus of Amhr​á​n na nGael, the Song of the Gaels.

It’s not for a lack of trying, but in my nearly 40 years in Ireland, I’ve never mastered the language. So I asked Dr Google about the lyrics who, initially, sent me to “Amhrán na bhFiann”, Ireland’s national anthem, “the soldier’s song”.

Then I found the correct song, lyrics, and a beautiful recording of Amhr​á​n na nGael by Meabh from her album Mise le Meas.

Here is the full chorus with its translation.

Pádraig walked down these steps many, many times, no doubt, taking in the spirit of these lyrics. You can see what it might have felt like in the video his friends made for him, Dreamboat: A Song for Pádraig, Amhrán do Phádraig.

Saturday, 28th of September, was the last day the Club was open before it closed for a three-year renovation project that will transform the historic building, Number 6 Harcourt Street, where John Henry Newman began plans for what would become University College Dublin, and where Sinn Féin planned their 1918 election campaign.

Pádraig’s friends made sure that he wouldn’t miss the big night and organised a group that would help us to get him down the stairs into the basement Club.

We only stayed for a few minutes to say hello to Pádraig’s friends and recall Seosamh, Pádraig’s friend who ran the Club in his very own way for many years. He sadly passed away six years ago, almost to the day, on 26/0918, and is remembered by a beautiful picture hanging in a prominent place in the Club.

TG4 must have the full documentary they made about Seosamh somewhere but, unfortunately, I couldn’t find it. There is, however, a review of the documentary available as well as a beautiful clip recently put together by one of his friends, also available on YouTube.

We went away for a few hours and left Pádraig with his friends and their memories of long, fabulous, and, I imagine, some pretty wild nights – not that I ever heard the ‘full story’ about these nights.

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Last week, Pádraig went back to Leinster House to listen to the Joint Committee on Disability Matters discussing Article 26, Habilitation and Rehabilitation, of the UN Declaration of the Rights of People with Disabilities. The Committee had invited the An Saol Foundation, together with the Neurological Alliance of Ireland accompanied by MS Ireland. Following my short opening statement, the An Saol Clinical Lead shared details of our service, and a Board member from Galway told the extremely moving story of his son who is affected by a severe Brain Injury as the result of an unprovoked attack.

A full video recording is available on the Oireachtas website. If you don’t have two hours to watch the full proceedings, you can read our three-page, very short opening statement here.

In essence, we are presenting to the HSE, to the nation, a fully planned, designed, and specified project for Life and Living with a severe Acquired Brain Injury. A project that has been described in a HSE report as necessary, effectively delivered by An Saol, one that should be expanded, and one that could position Ireland internationally as a leader in this kind of disability service. Also allowing it to comply not just with UN Conventions but with national and EU legislation.

Because we believe that –

Services should start with the most in need, not end before they get to them.

There was a lot of sympathy and understanding in the Committee. As there is from the HSE and the Government.

But we need more than sympathy.

We are operating on a shoestring and as a charity. Nobody is involved in our work to buy a fancy house, car, or yacht – to the contrary. Six of Ireland’s largest building, engineering, and planning companies are philanthropically involved and have saved the HSE already hundreds of thousands of euro.

We need strong, decisive action and leadership – not long, bureaucratic emails that nearly take away your will to live.

Here is another verse from Amhr​á​n na nGael:

It is we who face the decision.

No one else.

Let’s keep the momentum going and take this unique opportunity to get things right.

There will be no one else to blame than us if we don’t.