Stage directions: ‘The home of the Clitheroes ... consists of the front and back drawing-rooms in a fine old Georgian house, struggling for its life against the assaults of time, and the more savage assaults of the tenants.’ (Three Plays, Pan edn., p.133.)

Fluther [reads:] “Great Demonstration and torchlight procession around places in th’ city sacred to the memory of Irish Patriots, to be concluded be a meetin’ at which will be taken an oath of fealty to th’ Irish Republic” (p.139.)

Mrs Grogan: ‘There’ll be blood yet.’ (p.139.)

The Covey: ‘Look here, comrade, there’s no such thing as an Irishman, or an Englishman, or a German or a Turk; we’re all ony human bein’s. Scientifically speakin’, it’s all a question of the accidental gatherin’ of mollycewels an’ atoms.’ (p.143.) Fluther, ‘... little ignorant yahoo of a red flag Socialist!’ (144).

Nora Clitheroe [acc. stage directions] ‘is a young woman of twenty-two, alert, swift, full of energy, and a little anxious to get on in the world ... when her firmness fails her, she persuades with her feminine charm.’; ‘the firm lines of her face are considerably opposed by a soft, amorous mouth and gentle eyes’ (p.147.)

Bessie Burgess: ‘She is a woman of forty, vigorously built. Her face is a dogged one, hardened by toil, and a little coarsened by drink.’ [stage directions] (p.149.)

Bessie:‘Why is she always thryin’ to speak proud things, an’ lookin’ like a mighty one in th’ congregation o’ the people!’ (p.149.)

The Covey:‘It’s a flag that should only be used when we’re buildin’ the barricades to fight for a Workers’ Republic!’ (p.151.)

Jack Clitheroe: ‘My little red-lipped Nora!’ (p.154.)

Nora: ‘You’re vanity’ll be th’ ruin of you an’ me yet ... because they’ve made an officer of you, you’ll make a glorious cause of what you’re doin’, while your little red-lipped Nora can go on sittin’ here, makin’ companion of th’ loneliness of th’ night!’ (p.158.)

Rosie: ‘There isn’t much notice taken of a pretty petticoat of a night like this ... They’re all thinkin’ of higher things than a girl’s garthers ...’ p.162). [Act II]

The Voice of the Man: ‘It is glorious to see arms in the hands of Irishmen. We must accustom ourselves to the thought of arms, ... There are many things more horrible than bloodshed, and slavery is one of them!’ (p.162.)

Rosie: ‘It’s the sacred thruth, mind you, what that man’s afther sayin’!’ (p.162.)

Fluther: ‘You can take your breakfast, dinner, an’ tea on th’ grave in Bodenstown, if you like, for Fluther!’ (p.167.)

Fluther: ‘Ah, sure, when you’d look at him, you’d wondher whether th’ man is makin’ fun o’ the costume, or th’ costume is makin’ fun o’ th’ man!’ (p.167-68.)

Bessie: ‘You mind your own business, an’ stupify [sic] your foolishness be gettin’ dhrunk. (p.168.) ‘Young men with the sunny lust o’ life beamin’ in them, layin’ down their white bodies, shredded into torn an’ bloody pieces, on th’ altar that God Himself has built for th’ sacrifice of heroes!’ (p.168.)

The Voice of the Man: ‘the last sixteen months have been the most glorious in the history of Europe. Heroism has comeback to earth. War is a terrible thing, but war is not an evil thing. People in Ireland dread war because they do not know it. Ireland has not known the exhilaration of war for over a hundred years. When war comes to Ireland she must welcome it as she would welcome the Angel of God!’ (p.169.)

The Covey: ‘When I think of all th’ problems in front o’ th’ workers, it makes me sick to be lookin’ at oul’ codgers goin’ about dhressed up like green accoutred figures gone ashtray out of a toy shop!’ (p.169.)

Mrs Grogan [to Fluther, but answering Bessie Burgess]: ‘I’m not goin’ to keep an unresisthin’ silence, an’ her scattherin’ her festherin’ words in me face, stirrin’ up every dhrop of decency in a respectable female, with her restless rally of lies that would make a saint say his prayer backwards!’ (p.171.) The Covey, ‘It’ll be a long time before th’ Covey takes any insthructions or reprimandin’ from a prostitute!’ (p.175.)

Rosie: ‘You’re no man ... I’m a woman, anyhow, an’ if I’m a prostitute aself, I have me feelin’s.’ (p.175.)

Lieut. Langon: ‘Ireland is greater than a mother.’

Clitheroe: ‘Ireland is greater than a wife’ (p.178.)

The Voice of the Man: ‘Our foes are strong, but strong as the are, they cannot undo the miracles of God, who ripens in the heart of young men the seeds sown by the young men of a former generation. They think that they have pacified Ireland. They think they have foreseen everything, think that they have provided against everything; but fools, the fools, the fools! – they have left us our Fenian dead, and while Ireland holds these graves, Ireland, unfree, shall never be at peace!’ (p.178). [Act III]

Bessie: ‘Go on get your guns if yous are men ... Oh yous are all nicely shanghaied now! ... Stabbin’ in th’ back th’ men that are dyin; in the threnches for them!’ (182-84.)

Nora: ‘They told me I shamed my husband an’ th’ women of Ireland be carryin’ on the way I was ... They said th’ women must learn to be brave an’ cease to be cowardly ... me who risked more for love than they would for hate!’ (p.184.)

Bessie: ‘I can only think of me own self ... An’ there’s no woman gives a son or a husband to be killed – if they say it, they’re lyin’, against God, nature an’ against themselves!’ (184.)

Bessie: ‘... they’re afraid to say they’re afraid! ... I tell you they were afraid, afraid, afraid!’ (pp.184-85.)

Mrs Grogan: ‘If you’d been a little longer together th’ wrench asunder wouldn’t have been so sharp!’ (p.185.)

Bessie: ‘Why aren’ yous in the GPO if yous are men. it’s paler an’ paler yous are gettin’ .. A lot o’ vipers, that’s what the Irish People is!’ (p.186.)

Fluther [hearing the Helga shelling O’Connell St.]: ‘Aw, holy Christ, that’s not playing the game!’ (p.187).

Mrs Grogan: ‘Moreover, somethin’s tellin’ me that th’ runnin’ hurry of an inthrest you’re takin’ in it [the pram] now is a sudden ambition to use th’ pram for a purpose that a loyal woman of law an’ ordher would stagger from!’ (p.190.)

Bessie: ‘Poverty an’ hardship has sent Bessie Burgess to live with sthrange company, but she always knew them she had to live with from backside to breakfast time .. her present intention is quite th’ lofty-hearted one of pickin’ up anything shaken up an; scatthered about in th; loose confusion of a general plundher!’ (p.191.)

Clitheroe [excusing his not shooting looters]: ‘Bad as they are, they’re Irish men and women.’ (p.194.)

Brennan [encouraging Clitheroe to drive Nora off]: ‘Break her hold on you, man, or go up, and sit on her lap!’ (p.197). [Act. IV]

Brennan, reporting the death of Capt. Clitheroe:] ‘His last whisper was to ‘“Tell Nora to be brave; that I’m ready to meet my God an’ that I’m proud to die for Ireland.”’ (p.204.) Bessie, ‘Blessin’ o’ god on us, isn’t this pitiful!’ (p.205.)

Corporal Stoddart: ‘Ow, I know. I’m a Sowcialist moisself, but I ’as to do my dooty.’ (p.208.)

Bessie: ‘Bessie Burgess is no Shinner, an’ never had no thruck with anything spotted be th’ finders o’ th’ Fenians, but always made it her business to harness herself for Church whenever she knew that God Save the king was goin’ to be sung at t’end of th’ service ...’ (p.211.)

Fluther [on the Volunteer prisoners]: ‘be God, it’ll be a nice thing to be stuck all night in a Protestan’ Church!’ (p.212.)

Sergeant Tinley, ‘Dum-dum bullets their using’ (p.213.)

Bessie: ‘I’m shot, I’m shot, I’m shot! ... (to Nora) I got this through you, you bitch, you!’ (p.215.) ‘Nora, Nora, dear, run an’ get Mrs Grogan ... to bring a doctor’ (p.216.)

Bessie: ‘There afhter murdherin’ th’ poor inoffensive woman!’ (p.217).