Tommy Kwesule.
Senior Lister
“Grace” is a poignant Irish ballad made widely known through the heartfelt performance of folk singer Jim McCann, a former member of The Dubliners. Written in 1985 by brothers Frank and Seán O’Meara, the song tells the true and tragic story of Joseph Mary Plunkett, a leader of the 1916 Easter Rising, who married his fiancée, Grace Gifford, in Kilmainham Jail just hours before he was executed by British forces. McCann’s rendition struck a deep chord with listeners, remaining on the Irish charts for more than 30 weeks and securing the song’s place as a modern classic of love, loss, and patriotism.