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"He appeared to be the very incarnation of one of those brave Irish warriors of yore, the story of whose bravery in battle has been handed down to us in song and story. Cathal Brugha's courage in 1916 (*See below) and the calmness with which he then faced the British when riddled with their bullets (**25 wounds) is only surpassed by the epic of his own passing in 1922. Then, alone of all the garrison, he refused to surrender, walked towards his enemies with his revolver blazing until he fell, mortally wounded."
*Uncommon Valour- A look at the South Dublin Union garrison and the 1916 Rising
There is an amazing tale of when Cathal Brugha -boasting **twenty five wounds (Of which five were after cutting through arteries) and feared dead by many of his comrades- burst into song. Ceannt rushed to see the sight of Brugha slouched against a wall with his pistol to his shoulder still.
“The two heroes laid aside their weapons. The commandant came on bended knee the moment he saw the dreadful condition of his comrade- lying in a pool of his own blood four square feet in extent- embraced him, pressed him to his heart in a very passion of affection and tenderness. They exchanged greetings, very briefly, and the fond eyes of the commandant were flooded with tears”
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The Great Escape – Nurse Linda Kearns
Shortly after escaping. Mae Burke, Eithne Coyle and Linda Kearns
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