60 years ago we were allowed to sing this in primary schools ,
and this for a child is magical ---as kids we did nothing during the rising of the moon and also the gathering address was delivered in code known only to those who would use pikes .
we had never handled a pike and the song allowed us to conspire in our minds and gather in love of our country and march in the moonlight the entire school would go somewhere we were needed,
where that was was never considered but we would all journey there bursting with pride .
this was pre 1969 and i was 12 miles from Derry on holidays with my relations when it kicked off --i was 12 years old and i was shocked to my core by the violence .
i saw British bombers and other aircraft taking off from Magillian camp directly across the water from Moville and i wondered at anyone taking on the British army with their bombers and what was scary was the easy familiarity with the machinery of death the British had and we appeared like helpless children when you listened to the roars of a bomber taking off towards you across the water .
we had nothing to roar back and i feared for the people of Derry and i imagined the bombers being used shortly on them .
my relation a priest brought me through the Bogside to the monastery in his vw beetle and he was questioned by the RUC who doubted it seemed he was a priest and they made him give an account of himself before they would let us through .
it was a war zone and i had no understanding why it was so .
i returned home and was amazed it was not the most important item on the news and nobody believed me for some time re Derry .
The rising of the moon disappeared from Irelands primary schools for a good 50 years along with anything which could be seen as support for the republican movement --and i remember a teacher now deceased called Peadar o Coinnighle having repeated visits from special branch because he spelled his name in Irish and this was naturally a danger to the state and warranted repeated visits to keep an eye on him .