Remembering the funeral of an Irish patriot

This article originally appeared on the website of the Dublin People. It can be read here: http://www.dublinpeople.com/article.php?id=3923&l=101

Remembering the funeral of an Irish patriot

By Daithi Ó’Riain

• Ninety nine years ago this month, O’Donavan Rossa was laid to rest in Glasnevin Cemetery.

ON August 1 1915, 99 years ago this month, the great Fenian Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa was laid to rest in Glasnevin Cemetery. His funeral was a massive show of strength by Irish republicans and a key event in the lead up to the 1916 Rising.

O’Donovan Rossa, a founding member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, died in exile in America on June 29, 1915.

Originally from Cork, he was 83 years old and had dedicated his long life to winning Ireland’s freedom. Despite being imprisoned and exiled, he continued to play a prominent role in support of the cause at home, including the establishment of his ‘Skirmishing fund’ that helped to finance the Fenians’ Dynamite Campaign in England in the 1880s. Following his death his wife, who herself was a dedicated republican, was determined to ensure that he would be buried in Ireland.

John Devoy, the American based republican leader, sent news of Rossa’s death to Tom Clarke in Dublin. Both men immediately saw the opportunity for the funeral to act as a rallying point for republicanism at a time of growing nationalist sentiment.

Clarke sent a telegram in response to Devoy which read: ‘SEND HIS BODY HOME AT ONCE’.

Clarke now set about organising the funeral under the auspices of the Wolfe Tone Memorial Association, a name sometimes used by the IRB for its public work. The large committee was a who’s who of Irish republicanism at the time and included well known names such as James Connolly, Éamonn Ceannt, Bulmer Hobson, Diarmuid Lynch, Countess Markievicz, Jenny Wyse Power, Cathal Brugha, Con Colbert, Thomas Mac Donagh, Joseph Plunkett, Ned Daly and Patrick Pearse.

Seán Mac Diarmada was imprisoned in Mounjoy at the time under the ‘Defence of the Realm Act’, and despite being named on the committee he played little part in the preparations. Interestingly, all those named above would go on to play a leading role in the 1916 Rising and the events that followed.

Tom Clarke sent his wife Kathleen and Seán McGarry to meet Mrs O’Donavan Rossa, her daughter Eileen and Rossa’s remains when they arrived in Liverpool. O’Dononvan Rossa was then brought back to Dublin, were his body lay in state in City Hall on Dame Street, just a stone’s throw from Dublin Castle, then the symbolic seat of British rule in Ireland.

On the day of the funeral special trains came to Dublin from all over the country. The funeral mass was presided over by the republican priest, Father Michael O’Flannagan, and the massive procession was lead by the Chief Marshall, Thomas MacDonagh. He was followed by pipe bands and armed detachments of the Irish Citizen Army, the Irish Volunteers and members of Cumann na mBan. Thousands lined the streets to pay their respects to the old Fenian and upwards of 70,000 people made their way to Glasnevin to take part in the event.

Tom Clarke bestowed the honour of making the graveside oration on the young IRB and Irish Volunteer leader, Patrick Pearse.

In delivering one of the most famous speeches in Irish history, Pearse began by explaining why he, rather then one of Rossa’s old comrades, had been given the honour of making the address, ‘If there is anything that makes it fitting that I rather than some other–I, rather than one of the grey-haired men who were young with him, and shared in his labour and in his suffering, should speak here, it is, perhaps, that I may be taken as speaking on behalf of a new generation that has been re-baptised in the Fenian faith, and that has accepted the responsibility of carrying out the Fenian programme.’

Pearse finished with the now immortalised lines, in which the thunder of the coming battle of the 1916 Rising can be clearly heard, ‘Life springs from death, and from the graves of patriot men and women spring live nations.

The defenders of this realm have worked well in secret and in the open. They think that they have pacified Ireland. They think that they have purchased half of us, and intimidated the other half. They think that they have foreseen everything. They think that they have provided against everything; but the fools, the fools, the fools! They have left us our Fenian dead, and while Ireland holds these graves, Ireland unfree shall never be at peace.’

•Daithi Ó’Riain is a Dublin based historian, with a specific interest in social history and the Irish revolutionary period.

Remembering Roger Casement

This article was originally published on the website of the Dublin People. It can be viewed here:  http://www.dublinpeople.com/article.php?id=3893&l=101

• In 1965, Roger Casement was brought home to Ireland and buried in Glasnevin Cemetery.

NINETY eight years ago this week, Roger Casement was hanged in Pentonville Prison in England for his part in the 1916 Rising.

Born at Doyle’s Cottage in Sandycove, County Dublin, Roger Casement identified as an Ulster Protestant. His father, Captain Roger Casement, was a former British solider who volunteered to fight for Hungarian independence. Captain Casement was strongly sympathetic to the Fenians and openly expressed his strong belief in republicanism. Casement’s mother, Anne Jephson, was a catholic from Cork.

By the time Roger was 13, both his parents were dead. He was taken in by his Uncle, John Casement of Ballycastle, County Antrim, who had a substantial library of books with a significant section covering Irish history. Young Roger devoured these books and began to fall in love with Ireland and her people.

Roger Casement did not have a road to Damascus conversion to republicanism in his later life. Irish nationalism was a passion he had nurtured from his earliest youth. Reading extensively about the 1798 Rebellion, he identified with the Ulster Presbyterians who had led the republican uprising in Antrim and he soon became a firm supporter of the republicanism of Wolfe Tone.

Before becoming a household name in Ireland, Roger Casement had gained international fame for his humanitarian work in Africa and Peru.  Ironically, Casement’s humanitarian work earned him a British Knighthood, while at the same time, completely convincing him of the evils of empire.

At home in Ireland while on leave from the British Foreign service in 1904-05, Casement joined the Gaelic League and began to make links with republican circles across the country. Casement was supportive of the ideas of Sinn Féin and using a pseudonym, he began to contribute to nationalist newspapers such as Arthur Griffith’s ‘United Irishman’.

In 1913, Casement resigned from the Foreign Office and moved back to Ireland where he became a founding member of the Irish volunteers. He was elected to the organisation’s first provisional committee and helped to draft its manifesto. Casement threw himself into the work of building the Volunteers, speaking at recruitment meetings across the country.

Roger Casement was one of the key architects of the Howth and Kilcoole Gun Running. However, he was not in Ireland to oversee the landings, as he had gone to America to raise support for Irish freedom.

On the outbreak of the Imperial War in 1914, Casement believed Germany could become an ally for Irish revolutionaries, and he travelled to Europe in an attempt to win support for an Irish rebellion.

Casement had three aims while in Germany. The first was to win German recognition for Irish independence. The second was to secure support from Germany for a rebellion in Ireland and thirdly he hoped to recruit an Irish Brigade made up of captured Prisoners of War (POW) that would take part in an uprising.

The Germans were at best lukewarm, but they did agree to send a shipment of 20,000 rifles on board the ‘Aud’. Arrangements were made for the German shipment to land off the coast of Kerry on Good Friday 1916, in good time for the rebellion planned for Easter Sunday.

The arms landing ended in disaster. Due to a mistake in communications, there were no volunteers to meet the Aud on arrival. The ship was intercepted by the British Navy and rather then allowing the arms to be captured, the Captain scuttled her. Casement was arrested shortly afterwards and was imprisoned in the tower of London.

His arrest was international news and caused outrage amongst the British establishment. Casement was put on trial for treason in London. By the time of the trial, however, there was growing revulsion at the executions of the republican leaders in Dublin after the Rising, and a powerful campaign for clemency got underway which was supported by George Bernard Shaw and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

During the trial, British intelligence published what have become known as the Black Diaries, purporting to belong to Casement. The diaries, widely discredited as forgeries in Ireland, describe the activities of a promiscuous homosexual. At a time when homosexuals were persecuted by conservative society, the diaries succeeded in taking the wind out of the clemency campaign.

Roger Casement was convicted of Treason and stripped of his honours.

On August 3 1916, Casement was hanged in Pentonville Prison and buried within its walls. In 1965 Casement was brought home to Ireland and buried in Glasnevin Cemetery. Finally the 1916 Rising’s last executed leader could rest in peace.

• Daithi Ó’Riain is a Dublin based historian, with a specific interest in social history and the Irish revolutionary period.

Hiding in Plain Sight- Hidden Republican History in Dublin

Remembering Captain Thomas Weafer

Plaque in memory of Captain Thomas Weafer, hidden on O’Connell Street, Dublin.

Dublin is full of Republican History. Almost every street and building in our capital has its own great story to tell. Much of this exciting, revolutionary history goes unnoticed from day to day and is hiding in plain sight,

One such hidden gem is the story of Captain Thomas Weafer, an IRA solider who was killed in action during the 1916 Rising. You might be surprised to learn that his story takes place on O’Connell Street, Dublin City’s main thoroughfare, and you’ve most likely passed it by on many occasions.

A plaque marking the spot were he gave his life for freedom is partially hidden from our view by a newspaper stand on the corner of O’Connell Street and Lower Abbey Street. As a result thousands of people pass the spot on a daily basis without so must as a second thought for our republican hero.

Captain Thomas Weafer, Irish Republican Army.

Like all of Ireland’s Patriot Dead, Captain Thomas Weafer deserves tobe remembered and his story should be more widely known,

Thomas Weafer was from Enniscorthy in County Wexford, but by 1916  he was living on the northside of Dublin with his wife.In the aftermath of the Howth Gun Running, Weafer joined ‘E’ Company of the 2nd Battalion,  Dublin Brigade, Irish Volunteers. The Company took its recruits mainly from around Seville Place and the North Wall area.

While there was a great increase of new recruits in the aftermath of the Howth Gun Running, Thomas Weafer seems to have stood out and was soon made a Captain. Interestingly, the Adjutant of ‘E’ Companyat the time of the 1916 Rising was Sean Russell, who would later go on to become Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army.

According to Frank Henderson, Captain of ‘F Company 2nd Battalion, Dublin Brigade, in his account to the Bureau of Military History, Weafer was involved in an arms raid on the London North Western Railway at the North Wall in 1915, which successfully procured a quantity of British Army rifles for the Volunteers.

Weafer played a decisive role in ensuring the Volunteers of the 2nd Battalion mobilised on Easter Monday.  Following Eoin MacNeill’s countermanding order, a number of Senior IRB men including Sean Lester had visited the Battalion area to warn against taking part in ‘unauthorised action.’

This led to uncertainty among the Company Captains over what should be done. Weafer as the senior officer went to see James Connolly for to gain orders for the local Volunteers. Connolly told Captain Weafer that his Battalion should make there way to the City centre immediately. Some 80- 100 Volunteers of the 2nd Battalion were remobilsed from their safe houses in Farview and Summerhill and marched to the city to take part in the Rising.

Captain Thomas Weafer fought as part of the GPO Garrison, the Headquarters of the Irish Republic, during Easter Week. As part of the rebel’s strategy to defend the O’Connell Street area, he was ordered to capture the Hibernian Bank on the corner of O’Connell Street and Lower Abbey Street and hold it for the Republic.

The building was of key strategic importance for the defence of O’Connell Street and soon came under attack by the British Army.

On Wednesday April 26 1916, while fighting in defence of the sovereign Irish Republic, Captain Thomas Weafer was shot and paid the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. Captain Weafer’s body was never recovered. The Hibernian Bank was destroyed by a fire that gripped most of Lower Abbey Street, reducing the area to rubble. Weafers remains were cremated in the fire. He was just twenty six years old at the time of his death.

So the next time you pass the junction of Lower Abbey Street and O’Connell Street, have a look for the plaque dedicated to his memory and spare a thought for this brave young Irish hero, who gave his life for our freedom.