On A Happening At St Brigid's

The old school room and church of St Brigid's in Crossley south west Victoria has strong links to Irish history
Once a meeting place and a house of worship and a  school for the children of the local Irish community
Gary Lucas emailed me an article of a happening there going back near a century
When the Australian Government were conscripting young men to fight in the war in Europe for the British Monarchy

A World war was being waged in Europe in the early twentieth century  in nineteen sixteen
And young Irishmen were being murdered in Dublin for their love of the white and  gold and green
By the British forces occupying Ireland where hatred for all things British did grow
For a poor and oppressed people no mercy the British invaders did show

When the Australian conscription officers came to St Brigid's to conscript young men to fight under the Union Jack
From Crossley's angry Irish population they came under attack
The conscription officers with eggs were pelted of their lives they were in fear
That they were not welcome in Crossley to them was made obviously clear

Mr A S Rodgers M H R and recruiting Sargeant Stevens fled into the night
And under the  cover of darkness quickly disappeared out of sight
Mr Gordon the meeting chairman and Constable Nelson lucky to leave Crossley alive
The threat of a brutal death they were lucky to  survive

Time always seems to bring a healing as the wise person did say
And peace and  harmony reign supreme at old St Brigid's today
It is now a community gathering place and when the musicians play
There is merriment, song and laughter and people dance their cares away.