The Wind That Shakes the Barley Quotes

Teddy Such a beautiful room, it's hard to imagine a man's scream from here. Ever seen fingernails ripped out with a rusty pliers, Sir John, hmm? All your learning, and you still don't understand.

Sir John Hamilton Oh, I understand perfectly, Mr. O'Donovan. God preserve Ireland if ever your kind take control.

Damien Well, you'd better start getting used to the idea.

Teddy It's not too late, Damien.

Damien For me or for you?

Damien O'Donovan Strange creatures we are, even to ourselves.

Damien O'Donovan I tried not to get into this ], and couldn't. Now I try to get out, and can't.

Damien How many British soldiers in the country, Tim?

Tim Too many.

Damien How many?

Teddy About ten thousand, Damien.

Damien Ten thousand. Tans, artillery units, machine-gun car, cavalry...

Teddy And many more besides. What's your point, Damien?

Damien It's young men like Micheail we're talkin about, Teddy.

Teddy Micheail was a real Irishman, Damien.

Ned You're a coward, Damien.

Damien I'm a coward? And you're a hero, isn't it, Ned? You're gonna take down the British army with your hurley, is that it?

Rory For Christ's sake, Damien. What about Micheail?

Damien Look, Micheail was killed because he wouldn't say his name in English. Is that what you call a martyr, Teddy, is it?

Sinead So we should all buy a one-way ticket to London, is that it, Damien?

Dan If we ratify this treaty, all we're changing is the accents of the powerful and the colour of the flag.

Finbar Mercenaries! That were paid to come over here to make us crawl, and to wipe us out. We've just sent a message to the British cabinet that will echo and reverberate around the ]! If they bring their savagery over here, we will meet it with a savagery of our own!

Damien O'Donovan Your presence here is a crime, a foreign occupation. You tell me what I'm supposed to do as a democrat. Turn the other cheek for another 700 years? Is that it?

Damien O'Donovan It's easy to know what you are against, but quite another to ] what you are for.

Damien O'Donovan The ] does not express the will of the people, but the fear of the people.

Damien O'Donovan We buried him in this chapel in the mountains. And I went down and... and I told his mother. His mother, who has cooked meals for me and her son. And when I told her she... she just looked at me. and then she went in and she put on her shoes. Then she came out and she said, "Take me to my child." And we walked for six hours and she didn't say one word. Then we got to the chapel. And I showed her the grave. And I'd put a... cross and some flowers on it. And she turned to me and she said, "I never want to see your face again." I've crossed the line now, Sinead.

Damien I studied anatomy for five years, Dan. And now I'm going to shoot this man in the head. I've known Chris Reilly since he was a child. I hope this Ireland we're fighting for is worth it. Where's your letters?

Sir John For my wife... and my children.

Damien I'll make sure they're delivered. Turn around!

Sir John You'll never beat us! Ever!

Damien Give me your letters, Chris.

Damien Give me your letters, Chris!

Chris I didn't know what to write. And Mam can't read.

Chris Just tell her I love her. And where I'm buried... Promise me, Damien. Promise me you won't bury me next to him?

Damien The chapel. Do you remember, on the way up? Do you remember?

Chris Yeah.

Damien In there.

Chris Tell Teddy I'm sorry. I'm scared, Damien.

Damien Have you said your prayers?

Chris Yeah.

Damien God protect you.

Dan One-way ticket now, lads. Have a safe journey and God bless all of you.

Soldier Bugger off, Paddy!

Dan And I'll see you in Hell.

Sergeant Eyes to your front, soldier!

Priest I never thought I'd see the day. Military courts established in Ireland by Irishmen. Deportation or the death penalty for those caught with arms. In the name of God, what is going on? I found this on the street during the week. "Under the Republic, the lands of the aristocracy who live in London will be seized and divided up against landless workers and small farmers." "All industry and agriculture will be controlled by the state for the workers and farmers benefit." Not content with stealing your savings, they'll be nationalising the 12 apostles next. Dear brethren, we have an opportunity for the first time in generations in this country for peace and prosperity. We have that opportunity without English soldiers marching in our streets and outside our churches on a Sunday morning. We have that opportunity because we have signed a treaty. A treaty of peace. Quiet! Let me remind those of you who have forgotten of the pastoral letter signed by Cardinal Logue and other bishops. Anti-Treatyite irregulars have, and I quote, "Wrecked Ireland from end to end." "And all those who participate in such crimes are guilty of the gravest sins and may not be absolved in confession nor admitted to Holy Communion." In other words, excommunication! This opinion of the treaty is not just the opinion of the Catholic Church, it is the opinion of other churches. And it is the opinion of every newspaper up and down, and the length and breadth of this country. But most importantly, this treaty was ratified, overwhelmingly ratified, by the people in their democratic expression in the June election.

Damien Can you tell me, Father, how can there be a fair election in this country when the most powerful country in the world threatens war? This is not the will of the people. It is the fear of the people.

Priest How dare you talk to me in the house of God! Silence! Damien O'Donovan, you're a disgrace to the memory of your parents. Yes! Get out!

Lily The Free State Constitution was only printed the morning of the election so nobody had time to read it.

Priest Young lady, this is not the marketplace! Sit down, shut up, or get out of my church!

Damien And once again the Catholic Church, with honourable exception, sides with the rich.

Priest GET OUT!