Celtic – Rangers
Is an ancient feud
It brings together green and blue
Catholic Protestant
Irish Scot
All in a Glasgow stew
I’ve witnessed a bit of it
Been insulted in my time
Had vicious faces turned to me
The hate is like a crime
Poverty was the source of it
And famine times the time
When Irish came to Glasgow
Into a foreign clime
And foreigners they were
Among the local poor
Where homes and work were scarce
And people shown the door
Two tribes now thrown together
The cause of each one’s woe
And so the hatred grows and grows
And the fighting toe to toe
Alphonsus in his missions
Was familiar with feuds
Ancient wrongs had festered
Families out for blood
He brought the families to the church
And before the crucified
He brought a healing mercy down
And folk were reconciled
Ancient hurts don’t go away
They fester and they burn
Unless you bring a healing power
And cause the foes to turn
Vicious hate can catch the soul
Important that we pray
That Celtic Rangers is helped to heal
And we can football play
Brian Fahy
3 May 2022
+ Things don’t heal unless we help to heal them. Not by punitive sanctions, but by initiatives of meeting and cooperation. Alphonsus Ligouri in southern Italy was a man of great energy and wisdom, who had the ‘smell of the sheep’ on him. His involvement with people was deep and lasting. He came across many ancient feuds among country people and through preaching and negotiation he brought warring families to the church and reconciled them.
Erris Poetry 