twenty-five past seven
``` Boys , ' he said , ` will you tell me straight and plain what is it you want ? ' O'Farrelly began a long speech about an Irish republic and things of that kind . I sat with my watch in my hand opposite Father Conway and every now and then I pointed to the hands , so as to remind him that time was going on . At twenty-five past seven he stopped O'Farrelly and said they could n't have an Irish republic just then -- though they might later -- on account of that gun . Then he asked them again to say exactly what they wanted , republics being considered a wash-out . You 'd have been surprised if you heard the answer he got . Every man in the place stood up and shouted that he asked nothing better than to die for Ireland .