▁F ada . ▁ ▁After ▁E aster ▁R ising ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁his ▁friend ▁Thomas ▁As he ▁died ▁in ▁a ▁hung er ▁strike ▁and ▁it ▁inspired ▁him ▁to ▁write . ▁He ▁wrote ▁two ▁l aments : ▁one ▁in ▁verse ▁and ▁a ▁longer ▁one ▁in ▁pro se . ▁Ball ads ▁author ed ▁around ▁this ▁time ▁by ▁O ' Case y ▁featured ▁in ▁the ▁two ▁ed itions ▁of ▁Songs ▁of ▁the ▁W ren , ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 ; ▁these ▁included ▁" The ▁Man ▁from ▁the ▁Daily ▁Mail ", ▁which , ▁along ▁with ▁" The ▁Grand ▁O ul ' ▁D ame ▁Britann ia ", ▁became ▁Irish ▁re bel ▁music ▁st ap les . ▁A ▁common ▁theme ▁was ▁opposition ▁to ▁Irish ▁cons cription ▁into ▁the ▁British ▁Army ▁during ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War . ▁ ▁He ▁spent ▁the ▁next ▁five ▁years ▁writing ▁plays . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁when ▁both ▁his ▁sister ▁and ▁mother ▁died ▁( in ▁January ▁and ▁September , ▁respectively ), ▁the ▁St ▁Laur ence ▁O ' To ole ▁National ▁Club ▁commission ed ▁him ▁to ▁write ▁the ▁play ▁The ▁F rost ▁in ▁the ▁F lower . ▁He ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁the ▁St ▁Laur ence ▁O ' To ole ▁Pi pe ▁Band ▁and ▁played ▁on ▁the ▁hur ling ▁team . ▁ ▁The ▁club ▁decl ined ▁to ▁put ▁the ▁play ▁on ▁out ▁of ▁fear ▁that ▁its ▁sat ir ical ▁treatment ▁of ▁several ▁parish ion ers ▁would ▁cause ▁res ent ment . ▁ ▁O ' Case y