Over the weekend, I was reading on Ireland in History, Day by Day of the end of the H-Block Hunger Strikes on 3rd October, 1981. Back then a friend from school and I did have many a discussion as to matters Republican. To this day, such discussions would rarely end in agreement – be it with regard to justification, cause, validity of actions, or even use of words. The anniversary of the end of the Hunger Strike reminded me of these plaques that I saw earlier this summer and the discussions over the intervening years, particularly those relating to the interpretation of what had been written. The plaque in Galway says ‘Fuair siad bás ar son Saoirse na hEireann’ which roughly translates as ‘They died for the Freedom of Ireland’ – a contention that I have difficulty in accepting. My recollection of there being five demands of the Hunger Strikers was confirmed by the internet: The right not to wear a prisoner uniform The right to free association with Republican political prisoners The right as political prisoners not to do prison work The right to organize their own educational and recreational facilities, and The right to one weekly visit, letter and parcel Nowhere among these five objectives is stated the ‘Freedom of Ireland’. A free and united 32-county Ireland may well have been among the reasons for partaking in Republican activities which led to their imprisonment but this was not the stated aim of the Hunger Strike. Arguably, as both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland remained as free after the Hunger Strike as they did before, were their deaths failures in the stated objective of Irish Freedom and if so, why state that in a plaque commemorating them. Is this an example of an attempt to write history with a certain slant……… An interesting aside is that it is Winston Churchill who is misquoted as having said that ‘History is written by the Winners’….. |
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June was the first, and to date only, time that I have been in Drumshambo, Co. Leitrim – and it was only a ‘passing through’ trip but I did stop for these plaques to Packie Duignan and Ciarán Emmett
I thought it nice and fitting that two who played together are recognised so close together. Similar to Gort, it appears that recognition is in terms of a Traditional Music Weekend
One wall at a Dublin railway station – three plaques. Middle plaque is the 1916 Proclamation – two commemorate war dead. The war dead all worked for the same company – The Great Southern & Western Railway. The war dead all died between 1914 and 1918. They all laid down their lives for their country but that country was not the same for all. All bar one died fighting with the British Military Forces – one was shot by the British Military Forces. Just one representation of the complex nature of the Ireland of 100 years ago. Within a period of just over a month, I came across plaques or monuments referencing Robert Emmet in three separate counties.
I thought that I’d put them together. I am not alone in being intrigued as to John O’Neill, 1838.
I recently came across this painted stone between Naad and Banteer in North Cork, just before Lacka. Resorting to the web did reveal a very interesting John O’Neill who died in 1838 and who arrived in America at the age of 18. But maybe that is just co-incidence. If he was from Brosna, he might have travelled that road to Cork/Cobh. But then again he might not. On first glance, he does not appear to be in the book ‘The Story of Brosna’ but I will read more carefully to confirm. Maybe it was just painted for fun to puzzle the passer-by like me. If so, it succeeded.
My summer of theatre continued on Thursday with a trip to the Everyman. For someone who hadn’t been at a play for years, five outings in four weeks might well be considered obsessive by some – but it does allow for some comparison. The negatives first – the sound was not great, and I was only in row J. This was exacerbated by the continuity between the recorded sound and the actor when he started to talk before the audio had finished so he was drowned out. It came across very much as a transformation of the book rather than dramatic invention. This was fine by me with an interest in that historic period. At €25, it was dearer than all the other plays except the Frank O’Connor play and so in terms of value for money would have been in the relegation zone. I need to check either my hearing or the book as I thought I heard that civilians were killed in the burning of Cork whereas I had thought that only one person died on that night. However, overall I did enjoy. The play with the references to the various ambush sites – the first by the Flying Column at Toureen; Kilmichael (which I have yet to photograph); and Crossbarry – and the volunteers named was yet another reminder of the many commemorative plaques that I have photographed but have yet to catalogue and upload. This morning I was reading Ian’s blog and it got me wondering what if Tom Barry had died fighting for the British Army; what if he did not fall off the car and so would have been captured like his colleagues; what if Percival had recognised him at the roadblock. The memorials and commemorative plaques of West Cork would definitely not be the same…. This plaque did intrigue. It succeeded in stopping this passer-by to pause and think of Johnny Massacre, someone I had not heard of prior to seeing the plaque. Standing there in Galway, I did wonder as to the use of the title ‘Professional Lunatic’. Having watched the two clips, it is both appropriate and honourable.
EDIT 2014.08.16
I did wonder at the time as to the concept of smooth waves. If I had only read it properly... It did prompt me to buy the book and only when reading the paragraph in the book did I spot the error of my ways - now corrected |
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