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Sir Rod Stewart was deeply moved during his visit to RTÉ’s The Late Late Show in 2019. The 80-year-old Maggie May superstar was surprised with the first edition of a classic 1916 book by host Ryan Tubridy. Rod is well-known for his rendition of Grace, a song that tells the poignant story of Grace Evelyn Gifford Plunkett and Joseph Plunkett. The couple wed in the chapel at Kilmainham Gaol mere hours before Joseph faced execution by a firing squad in 1916.
“We wanted to give you something special, reflecting what you’ve done with that story,” Tubridy shared. “So we’ve discovered a collection of poetry by Joseph Mary Plunkett, published in 1916—it’s a first edition, and it’s our gift to you.”
Sir Rod received a first edition of poetry by the 1916 revolutionary Joseph Mary Plunkett as a present.
The Irish revolutionary leader Joseph married Grace just hours before being executed for his involvement in the Easter Rising of 1916, a rebellion against British rule in Ireland.
Following their wedding, Grace was permitted to spend ten minutes in her husband’s prison cell under strict supervision.
Despite being just 28 years old when her husband was executed, Grace never remarried. She passed away in Dublin in 1955 at the age of 67.
Rod appeared visibly emotional as he accepted the gift, expressing, “That is truly amazing, thank you so much.”
In a previous interview with Billboard, Rod mentioned he was forbidden from performing ‘Grace’ on BBC due to the song’s anti-English themes.
“They won’t allow me to sing ‘Grace’ because of its Irish, anti-English overtones,” he said.
“Forget about it; it’s one of the greatest love songs ever written.
“The man goes to his death only 15 minutes after being married, and I can’t even sing that one.”
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