Benny Santini Productions: THE GREATEST LOVE SONG...

The Greatest Love Song Ever Written...

Going to the Match by L.S.Lowry

"In Dublin's fair city, where the girls are so pretty, I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone..."

Between 3 pm and 515 pm on any given Saturday afternoon in Britain, men and women from all walks of life can be heard singing songs like this at the top of their limited vocal range, along the terraces of their favorite football stadium. I was no different, as a lad as I ran down Manchester Road on the way to the hallowed turf of Burnden Park to watch my beloved Bolton Wanderers.

I had no idea the impact classic melodies of the terraces would have on me over the years, Yes "You'll Never Walk Alone" at Liverpool, You will be " Forever Blowing Bubbles" at West Ham but sung with the most vivacity in later years is the tune "Grace" sung to this very day by every Celtic fan the

world over ...

"Oh Grace just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger..." In its rawness and sung by thousands I struggled to understand the lyrics but was aware of the goosebumps crawling up the back of my neck...

What is this Song? Whats it all about? Wheres it from?

All thoughts lay quite dormant until prodded to life once again during a new playlist search on the old Amazon Music. I Love " The Fields of Athenry", "Green fields of France" and Christy Dignam's version of "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" so naturally thought what else can I plug in here...

The story that unfolds in this revived epic, is so wistfully and beautifully told.... The song "Grace" written by brothers Frank and Sean O'Meara in 1985 tells the tragic, very true tale, packed with heart wrenching emotion in the melody, of Grace Gifford who married her fiance, rebel leader and poet Joseph Mary Plunkett, during the Easter uprising of 1916.

They married in the harshness, the austere chapel of Dublin's notorious Kilmainham Gaol.

Plunkett was arrested for his part as one of the seven signatories of the proclamation for a free Ireland from the Tyranny of the English on the Easter of 1916. Plunket was an educated man, of good stock, was a journalist and poet, and was engaged to Grace and set to be married on Easter Sunday 23rd April 1916 at the local church of St Stephens Green, and here is just another reason why we don't demolish,vandalize or eliminate Historical landmarks or stories, because as the story follows fate intervened...

Always interested in the Irish Republican Brotherhood and anything connected with Irish Nationalism, he told Grace that something had come up and he must postpone their date at the alter. The Rising ended up taking place on Monday the 24th not the 23rd as planned. Plunkett in all his avante-guard splendor showed up at the GPO in white silk scarf, brandishing a Saber alongside Michael Collins and held the GPO for 5 days. While at the GPO standoff it was discovered he was sick with TB and needed to lie down on a mattress, the story so goes that James Connolly's son asked his father who the man was lying down on a mattress in the middle of a revolution, the famous quote came back " That's Joe Plunkett he has more courage in his little finger than all the other leaders combined"

Now, Saturday April 29th Joseph sat down to pen a letter to Grace not knowing it would be his final transcript, later that day he was captured at the surrender and sentenced to death for his part in the Rising.

So here we are at the Pathos, gut wrenching aspect of their story, Grace partitioned with success to marry her beloved ....and on May 3rd 1916 in that bleak chapel of Kilmaiham Gaol , in a cold 15 minute ceremony, with no family present, only British soldiers with bayonets fixed and at the ready , hand cuffed and not allowed to touch each other or speak to each other, Father Eugene McCarthy read them their vows.

Just seven hours later on May 4th Joseph Plunkett was shot by firing squad.

As we gather in the chapel here in old Kilmainham Gaol
I think about these past few weeks, oh will they say we've failed?
From our school days they have told us we must yearn for liberty
Yet all I want in this dark place is to have you here with me

Oh Grace just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger
They'll take me out at dawn and I will die
With all my love I place this wedding ring upon your finger
There won't be time to share our love for we must say goodbye

Now I know it's hard for you, my love, to ever understand
The love I bear for these brave men, my love for this dear land
But when Pádhraic called me to his side down in the GPO
I had to leave my own sick bed, to him I had to go

Oh, Grace just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger
They'll take me out at dawn and I will die
With all my love I place this wedding ring upon your finger
There won't be time to share our love for we must say goodbye

Now as the dawn is breaking, my heart is breaking too
On this May morn as I walk out, my thoughts will be of you
And I'll write some words upon the wall so everyone will know
I love so much that I could see his blood upon the rose

Oh, Grace just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger
They'll take me out at dawn and I will die
With all my love I place this wedding ring upon your finger
There won't be time to share our love for we must say goodbye
No there won't be time to share our love for we must say goodbye

https://youtu.be/IxIrmWfKJuQ

Grace took up Josephs cause and spent time in Kilmainham Gaol herself in 1923, but she never re married and died alone on Dec 13th 1955.

When I think now of Stevie Knicks "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You" It would be hard to top what the O'Meara's did .....and I dare you to listen and not fight back tears... it is indeed the greatest love song ever written....

Grace Gifford

Originally sung by Jim McCann of the Dubliners fame he had the song at the top of the Irish charts for 36 weeks. Recently Rod Stewart put it on his 2018 album "Blood Red Roses"