Louis Smyth was a country man who rose well above his humble beginnings to play a central role in the Republican fight for Irish freedom.
Brendan Behan – Red Envoy – Poem By 16-Year-Old Irish Rebel
He was 16 when he set off on his own to blow up parts of England. His time in a borstal gave him the materiel for a book. He wrote poetry in both Gaelic and English. He had famous friends across the globe. He stayed in the Chelsea Hotel. He drank himself to death. He was Brendan Behan. This is his poem.