Written by Jack O'Sheehan 1923. The Legion Of The Rearguard name comes from De Valera and was an old 'Nickname' for The Irish Republican Army. Wolfe Tone and Robert Emmett were early leaders of rebellions in Ireland. De Valera was one of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rebellion and later became Prime Minister of the Irish Free State and later still, President of Eire.