There was neither delay nor uncertainty in his exposition of Ireland’s duty.  Quite literally, he seized the first chance that came to his hand.  He left London on the evening when the Act was signed, motored to Holyhead, as he liked to do, in the big car which his friends had presented to him—­it was the only material testimonial which he ever received—­and crossed by the night boat, driving on in the morning to Aughavanagh.  When he reached the Vale of Ovoca he found a muster of the East Wicklow Volunteers.  These were the nearest thing to him in all the force—­his own friends and neighbours from the Wicklow hills.  Aughrim, his post-town at the foot of his own particular valley, had its company, commanded by a friend of his, the local schoolmaster—­typical of what was best in the Volunteers, a keen Gaelic Leaguer, tireless in, work for the old language and old history.  This man, well on in the forties, but mountain-bred and hardy, had thrown himself into the new movement—­little guessing that a few months would see him a private in the British Army, or that he would come with honour to command a company of a famous Irish regiment on the battlefields of a European war.

If it had been only for the sake of Captain MacSweeny (he was then, of course, only a captain of Volunteers), I think Redmond would have stopped.  But it was a gathering of many friends, who pressed him to speak at a moment when his heart was full.  Grave results followed from what he said that day; but a week sooner or later he was bound to say these things, and the results were bound to follow.  Here is the pith of his utterance: 

“I know that you will make efficient soldiers.  Efficient for what?  Wicklow Volunteers, in spite of the peaceful happiness and beauty of the scene in which we stand, remember this country at this moment is in a state of war, and the duty of the manhood of Ireland is twofold.  Its duty is at all cost to defend the shores of Ireland from foreign invasion.  It has a duty more than that, of taking care that Irish valour proves itself on the field of war as it has always proved itself in the past.  The interests of Ireland, of the whole of Ireland, are at stake in this war.  This war is undertaken in defence of the highest principles of religion and morality and right, and it would be a disgrace for ever to our country, a reproach to her manhood, and a denial of the lessons of her history, if young Ireland confined their efforts to remaining at home to defend the shores of Ireland from an unlikely invasion, or should shrink from the duty of proving on the field of battle that gallantry and courage which have distinguished their race all through all its history.  I say to you, therefore, your duty is twofold.  I am glad to see such magnificent material for soldiers around me, and I say to you:  go on drilling and make yourselves efficient for the work, and then account for yourselves as men, not only in Ireland itself, but wherever the