the man was all shot through that came today into the barrack square and a soldier i i am not proud to say that we killed him there they brought him from the prison hospital and to see him in that chair i swear his smile would would far more quickly call a man to prayer maybe maybe i don t understand this thing that makes these rebels die yet all men love freedom and the spring clear in the sky i wouldn t do this deed again for all that i hold by as i gazed down my rifle at his breast but then then a soldier i they say he was different kindly too apart from all the rest a lover of the poor his wounds ill dressed he faced us like a man who knew a greater pain than blows or bullets ere the world began died he in vain ready present and him just smiling christ i felt my rifle shake his wounds all open and around his chair a pool of blood i swear his lips said fire before my rifle shot that cursed lead and i i was picked to kill a man like that james connolly a great crowd had gathered outside of kilmainham their heads all uncovered they knelt to the ground for inside that grim prison lay a brave irish soldier his life for his country about to lay down he went to his death like a true son of ireland the firing party he bravely did face then the order rang out present arms fire james connolly fell into a ready made grave the black flag was hoisted the cruel deed was over gone was the man who loved ireland so well there was many a sad heart in dublin that morning when they murdered james connolly the irish rebel god s curse on you england you cruel hearted monster your deeds they would shame all the devils in hell there are no flowers blooming but the shamrock is growing on the grave of james connolly the irish rebel many years have gone by since the irish rebellion when the guns of britannia they loudly did speak and the bold i r a they stood shoulder to shoulder as the blood from their bodies flowed down sackville street  the four courts at dublin the english bombarded the spirit of freedom they tried hard to quell but above all the din rose the cry no surrender twas the voice of james connolly the irish rebel