Ireland Fight for Independence in PS Cleary’s Blood of Patriot

Literature has long been a powerful medium for examining historical conflicts, personal experiences, and the broader socio political turmoil during challenging times. Both fiction and non-fiction provide multiple perspectives on these conflicts. In PS Cleary’s “The Blood of Patriots,” we explore the Irish independence movement through the lens of one family’s experience.

Cleary tells a multigenerational story that starts in the early 20th century when Ireland was at the height of its struggle against British rule. The narrative opens with Big Jack Quinn and his involvement in the Irish independence movement in 1922 and then transitions to the experiences of his son, Little Jack, in the 1940s.

Spanning decades, Cleary, through his book, conveys how the fight for freedom influences successive generations.

In 1922, Ireland was torn between survival and rebellion. There were promises of independence and then the tragedy of civil war. Big Jack was part of the rebellion movement. He participated in major missions for Irish independence, such as the Clonderlaw Bridge attack, where he played a direct role in sabotaging British supply lines by blowing up the bridge.

Cleary doesn’t glamorize the violence but instead captures its consequence, the fear, the urgency, and the tiny flickers of hope when Jack is portrayed as a loving family man. The Clonderlaw Bridge attack was a success, but Big Jack’s dedication to the cause puts his family at risk, particularly his wife, Maggie, who pleads with him to put his family first. 

She keeps telling him, “Your children need their father; I need my husband.” A reflection of 

the pain of many families caught in Ireland’s struggle for independence. Yet, for Big Jack, the fight was not just for Ireland, but for the future his children might inherit.

Family Torn Apart

At its core, The Blood of Patriots isn’t just about the fight against British rule; it’s also about the battles fought at home. 

Big Jack’s untimely death, killed while confronting a suspected informer, leaves Maggie to raise their children alone in a world still rife with unrest. Cleary portrays Maggie as a strong yet grieving mother determined to honor her husband’s wishes: to keep her sons away from the Irish civil war. 

But familial ties complicate her plans. Uncle Paddy, a steadfast member of the Irish Republican Army, has his own vision for the boys, especially Little Jack, Big Jack’s eldest son.

As Little Jack grows, he’s mesmerized by the romanticized stories of his father’s heroism told by Uncle Paddy. This becomes a conflict between a mother’s urge to protect versus an uncle’s drive to recruit, forming the emotional crux of the novel. It’s a stark reminder of how wars change families, sometimes tearing them apart even when everyone believes they’re fighting for the same cause.

PS Cleary’s The Blood of Patriots is a heartfelt tribute to those who dared to dream of a free Ireland while grappling with the cost of that dream. 

Read it now on Amazon.