When Brother Fought

When brother fought brother the cause it was lost The civil war in Ireland came at a huge cost To people who already had seen too much bloodshed and tears The bitterness of the civil war was to linger for years Far too many young men in Ireland's civil war died And this should not be any reason for pride Or seen to be worthy of a street parade Though patriots won't allow war history from memory to fade When neither was right and both sides were wrong To the dark side of Irish history the civil war belong When brother fought brother hatred took to flame That this should have happened does seem such a shame When brother fought brother and former friend fought former friend The bitterness of the civil war took decades to mend A bitterness for years that did linger on After the British forces from the Republic of Ireland had gone A civil war that gave rise to the political parties of Sinn Fein, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail Three political parties that for Ireland did nothing at all As they could not unite since they only knew how to divide Any hope for a unified Ireland by the civil war was destroyed A tragic time for Ireland in truth it can be said When brother fought brother mothers wept for their dead In a civil war nothing for to celebrate And nothing as such for to commemorate.