William Drennan

thumb|William Drennan (circa 1790) William Drennan (23 May 1754 – 5 February 1820) was an Irish physician and writer who moved the formation in Belfast and Dublin of the Society of United Irishmen. Quotes thumb|⁠The Emerald Isle When Erin first rose from the dark-swelling flood, God blessed the green island, he saw it was good. The Emerald of Europe, it sparkled and shone In the ring of this world, the most precious stone. Erin (1795), st. 1 Arm of Erin, prove strong, but be gentle as brave, And, uplifted to strike, still be ready to save; Nor one feeling of vengeance presume to defile The cause or the men of the Emerald Isle. Erin (1795), st. 5 Men of Erin! awake, and make haste to be blest! Rise! arch of the ocean, and queen of the West! Erin (1795), st. 6 Notes and Queries, ser. 2, vol. 9 (17 March 1860), p. 199 Hapless nation, hapless land, Heap of uncementing sand! Crumbled by a foreign weight, Or by worse, domestic hate! The Wake of William Orr (1797), st. 7 Fugitive Pieces, in Verse and Prose (1815), p. 80 Pure, just, benign; thus filial love would trace The virtues hallowing this narrow space; The Emerald Isle may grant a wider claim, And link the Patriot with his country's name. Inscription on his tomb, New Burying Ground, Belfast George Benn, A History of the Town of Belfast (1877), p. 520 External links Category:1754 births Category:1820 deaths Category:Poets from Ireland Category:Physicians from Ireland Category:University of Glasgow alumni Category:University of Edinburgh alumni Category:People from Belfast