Roger Casement was reinterred in Glasnevin in 1965 after his remains were taken from Pentonville prison in London where he was executed by an English hangman on 3rd August 1916. His grave is one of the first on entering the cemetery. I've been there many times and would suggest for people to pay a visit.
We then drove to Sandycove and we commented on how much more plush that part of Baile Atha Cliath is compared to the working class parts of the city.
We then drove to Sandycove and we commented on how much more plush that part of Baile Atha Cliath is compared to the working class parts of the city.
We arrived at the street where Casement was born and when we reached number 29 there was a plaque on the wall with a wreath below it. When we knocked the door we were met by a man who couldn't be friendlier. He introduced himself as Tom Cook and he was delighted to see us, especially when we told him who we were reprseenting. He was born in that house in the early 1950s and he remembered many stories growing up about Roger Casement.
There was a cottage built in the 19th century where Casement was born but after his mother died he moved to Ballymena aged 15 where relatives looked after him. The cottage was demolished and replaced by two houses in the 1920s and a plaque erected by the National Graves Association in 1941. Parades were regularly held by Irish Republicans up until 1969 when the recent phase of conflict broke out. The Free State special branch sat outside the house and harassed people and given the area it is in many kept their heads down but Tom's family continued to look after the plaque. He also told us he flew a Palestinian flag outside the house but he was waiting one being delivered. We could have stayed a lot longer but had to be in Dún Laoghaire for 7pm so we bade farewell and told Tom we would be in touch and hopefully he'll come up to do a talk.
Ten minutes later we met people at a local community centre called Eblana House. After introductions we walked to the seafront and on the way down I couldn't get over how wealthy the place looked. As we looked over the coast we saw the statue of Casement and from a distance it looked impressive. When we reached it there was a crowd of about thirty and a piper led us on a short walk where he played a lament then Amhrán na bhFiann. Alan and another person spoke very briefly then wreaths were laid.
As the rain came on we walked with a few others back to the centre. We couldn't stay too long but glad we did even for fifteen minutes. A video was shown of Catherine Connolly speaking at the centre a few weeks earlier and I have to say she was very good. She spoke about Casement and about the horrors he witnessed in the Congo and Peru when millions of people were killed, starved and mutilated by colonialists from Europe. She went on to speak of the horrors we are witnessing today being carried out by modern day colonialists. I just hope that when she meets those very same people carrying out atrocities throughout the world she speaks about Casement.
As we drove home Alan and I agreed it was a very worthwhile day. I could write a lot more about Roger Casement but if anyone needs to know more about him there a lot of of books and articles out there.
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| Padraic Mac Coitir is a former republican prisoner and current political activist. |
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