The deaths of children in war has never been rare
And that war has few happy stories most of are aware
The shooting which resulted in the death of Patrick Goggin in a field at Ballinagree
Just another tragic story of war now part of history
A seven year old boy by the Black and Tan occupying forces perhaps mistaken for a member of the I R A
For being young and having fun such a price the young fellow had to pay
The Black and Tans for his death of course mostly to blame
But in the death of a child they too would have realized that for them not any honour or fame
That there is a heaven for the souls of war innocents seems not hard to believe
His broken hearted mother and father for him left to grieve
Robbed of the chance of fathering children or of having a wife
At a young age cruelly robbed of his gift of life
Even in the twenty first century children are dying in war zones of the World every day
For the conflict of adults young innocents with their lives should not have to pay
This is war's collateral damage war men may say
But this does not make the death of innocent children in any way as okay
Ireland's enemy in the war of independence is no longer the foe
And since young Patrick Goggin was shot in Ballinagree a century ago
A lot of young children in war have died since then
And have been deprived of the chance of growing into young women and men.
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