TIPPERARY HONOURS THE MEN OF '48 (Tipperary Star July 3rd 1948) Mr. James Dillon, Minister for Agriculture said that looking back a hundrcd years ago to the day his grandfather John Dillon was in Ballingarry, to 1803 when he won Tipperary from the Tories, to 1870 when his father John Blake Dillon and his uncle brought Mitchel back to Tipperary and won the seat for nationalism again; to 1879 when Parnell sent his father to fight the cause in Tipperary he felt that though he was not born in Tipperary he had a claim to be there that day and the right to speak there. Canon Fitagerald had referred to the fact that to-day we are a sovereign nation with our own army, our own Gardai and our own flag. He (speaker) would like to ask’ how many there present knew where that flag was first seen in this country; how many knew where that flag was first un-furled? It was on the ground on which they stood that day that it was unfurled 100 years ago, it was unfurled to Inspire not a party, not a faction, but a nation. It flies to-day again in Ireland not as the flag of any party, not as the flag of any faction but as the flag of a nation and some day of a united nation. Let them then remember that not only the glory of men whose memory they were celebrating let them recall there in Ballingarry the memory of an Irish country boy who died on the ground on which they now stood and whose blood stained the national flag on the first day it was unfurled. To many his name may be remembered or forgotten by many it may have been said that that boy died in vain that he died foolishly and for a foolish cause. But these who despised his sacrifice were those who would never have had the courage to stand fast and die so that we of this generation might be free. It was a glorious thing to have their own Army and their own Gardai but the great thing was that every man and every woman in this country was a free man and a free woman. There were many States in Europe to-day with their armies and police and flags but the people in those States were not more than slaves. The people of to-day must pledge themselves now and every day that the treasure of freedom would never be surrendered to any enemy external or internal. Ballingarry should be a lesson for them all it was not enough to honour the men of’ ‘48 once and then forget them; we must emulate their example. The men of Ballingarry 'crossed the Rubicon' and would not turn back. So long as Ireland had children with the strength and vision to make that declaration they need never fear for their glory.

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