The only thing to prevent what's past is to put a stop to it before it happens.
At present there are such goings-on that everything is at a standstill.
The best way to avoid danger is to meet it plump.
Single misfortunes never come alone, and the greatest of all national calamities is generally followed by one greater.
Disappointment is the nurse of wisdom.
The cup of Ireland's misery has been overflowing for centuries and is not yet half full.