The book is in essence a record of names of those executed or transported as well as the graves and monuments of the Wexford insurgents.
The book is not nor does it claim to be a complete record of all those who fought, fell in battle, were executed or transported, at this remove many of these names may never be recorded.
However, Here’s Their Memory provides an excellent potted history of the rising in Co Wexford. It also traces the various routes taken by the Wexford United Irishmen in the weeks following the battle of Vinegar Hill which brought them through Carlow, Castlecomer, Kildare to Clonard and the Hill of Tara in Co Meath. Many would never return to their native county, their final resting places are recorded in the book.
As the author points out this book is in effect “Taking part in an historic development; we are casting off the chains of our enslaving past and formulating a future for ourselves, for all who live on the island of Ireland. This is our defining moment. This is a people participating in nation building.”
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As Michael O’Flanagan points out in his introduction many of the written histories dealing with the 1798 period treat its leading figures and its many facets in isolation, without giving an overall picture of the United Irish Movement and its leaders, placing them in their National and International context.
The author draws a series of very good biographical sketches of the most prominent Revolutionary figures of the day such as Theobald Wolfe Tone, Henry Joy McCracken, Lord Edward Fitzgerald, Robert Emmet and Thomas, as well as lesser known but equally important figures such as James Hope, Henry Munro, William McNevin and Arthur O’Connor.
Michael O’Flanagan is a member of the Dublin ’98 Committee, is chairman of the East Inchicore partnership network, Secretary of the Francis Ledwidge Society and is editor of Riposte magazine.
He also published two books of poetry
Peep on the Abyss and
Immutability.
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The plan came to light in a new book about former supemo in Occupied Ireland, Douglas Hurd. In The Public Servant, author Mark Stewart claims the imperious Thatcher also discussed plans to re-introduce internment to augment her border plans. This move would have led to a new border check-point being placed on Derry’s Craigavon Bridge.
Stewart, drawing heavily on diaries kept by Hurd, claims that Thatcher outlined her ‘final solution’ plans in a private conversation during a meeting at Chequers in November 1984.
While British intelligence operatives and their pawns in the loyalist death squads were indulging in their intermittent attempts at Kristalnacht, the British Prime Minister was considering the ultimate means of ethnic cleansing.
Proof that Thatcher contemplated such a move was also contained in an autobiography by former 26 County premier, Garret Fitzgerald.
The book claims Hurd and then British secretary in Occupied Ireland, Tom King, were privately horrified at Thatcher’s plans and came up with an alternative idea of a broadcasting ban on Sinn Féin to appease her despite both Hurd and King’s “private dislike” of the ban imposed by the Tory government.
Several present day politicians in the Six Counties admit they knew of the moves but did not take them seriously.
While Hurd defended the broadcasting ban on the floor of the British House of Commons, he privately was embarrassed at the move, Stewart, an academic at Lancaster University, alleges. The author also says: “King was obviously in a spot, so he did it to stop her doing something more extreme.”
A spokesperson for Douglas Hurd said the section of the book dealing with Thatcher’s re-partition plan was “OK to him.”
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AT the September meeting of the Comhairle Ceantair Átha Cliath a vote of sympathy was passed to Tomás Ó Cléirigh on the recent death of his mother Mary.
HANNON, Deepest sympathy is extended to the Hannon family in the death of their father William. From the Republican Movement, Limerick.
HANNON, Deepest sympathy is extended to Threasa Hannon and family in the death of her husband William. From Republican Sinn Féin, Limerick.
HANNON, Deepest sympathy is extended to all the Hannon family on the death of their father William. From Joe Lynch and Mick Hanley, Limerick.
HANNON, Deepest sympathy is extended to all the Hannon family on the death of their father William. From Dicky Wallace, POW, Portlaoise Jail.
Ó CLÉIRIGH, Deepest sympathy is extended to Tomás Ó Cléirigh on the death of his mother Mary. From Ann Devlin Cumann, Rathfarnham.
Ó CLÉIRIGH, Deepest sympathy is extended to Tomás Ó Cléirigh on the death of his mother Mary. From the staff of SAOIRSE.
Ó CLÉIRIGH, Deepest sympathy is extended to Tomás Ó Cléirigh on the death of his mother Mary. From all at Ard Oifig.
Ó CLÉIRIGH, Deepest sympathy is extended to Tomás Ó Cléirigh on the death of his mother Mary. From the Connolly/O’Neill Cumann, Republican Sinn Féin, the Liberties.
Ó CLÉIRIGH, Sincere sympathy is extended to Tomás Ó Cléirigh on the death of his mother Mary. From Comhairle Laighean.
Ó CLÉIRIGH, Deepest sympathy is expressed to Tomás Ó Cléirigh on the death of his mother Mary. From CABHAIR.
Ó CLÉIRIGH, Deepest sympathy is extended to Tomás Ó Cléirigh on the death of his mother Mary. From the Wolfe Tone Cumann, Tamhlacht, BÁC.
Ó CLÉIRIGH, Deepest sympathy is extended to Tomás Ó Cléirigh on the death of his mother Mary. From the Patrick Cannon Cumann, Raheny.
Ó CLÉIRIGH, Deepest is extended to the Ó Cléirigh family on the death of Mary, who died recently. To husband Joe, daughter Marie, sons Tomás and Joe. From the Liam Mellows Cumann, Dublin Central.
Ó CLÉIRIGH, Deepest sympathy is extended to Tomás Ó Cléirigh on the death of his mother. From Margaret and Saoirse Walsh, Dublin
SMITH, Deepest sympathy is extended to the Smith family, Limerick on the recent death of their uncle, Mick Connors RIP, Doon, Co Limerick. From Cumann Brugha/Sabhat, Sinn Féin Poblachtach, Luimneach.
SMITH, Deepest sympathy is extended to the Smith family, Limerick on the recent death of their uncle, Mick Connors, Doon, Co Limerick. From the Republican Movement, Limerick.
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There are many questions which remained unanswered about Omagh. The discrepancy about the bombs location between the UTV and Samaritan warnings? Why the authorities initially told the media only of the UTV warnings and details of the Samaritan warnings were disclosed only after RIRA mentioned it? Why the RUC seemingly ignored the Samaritan’s warning and did not seal off the entire main street?
— Suzanne Breen in Fortnight magazine, September 1998.
This weekend [Provisional] Sinn Féin is still maintaining that the Derry republican will not be acting as any sort of go-between but such talk will fool only their most slavish supporters; why else has he taken up the post unless it is to precisely that?
“The first thing he said was that there must be no repeat of Omagh. The State did not want to act but would, and the new (anti-terrorist) law would be used.
“He wanted to convey a message to the Continuity IRA but was told that we would not be a conduit. His reply was that the State considered Republican Sinn Féin a front which provided political justification and respectability for another organisation.
“He also said that the State could not hold back the gardaí indefinitely and that the State was worried that RSF and Continuity would provide a focus of opposition to the Good Friday Agreement and would be a nucleus or rallying point if the agreement were to collapse. Then he said Continuity had seven days in which to call a ceasefire.”
— Journalist Ed Moloney on the appointment of the Provisionals Martin McGuinness to the ‘Decommissioning’ body, Sunday Tribune, September 6, 1998.
“The emissary told us on Monday, September 14, that while he had been representing church interests during previous attempts to meet Continuity he had a message from the State”, said an RSF source.
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Sandy Boyer chaired the event and Brian Mór Ó Baoighill was the MC. Bob McCann sang the Irish and US anthems and Mike Daw on the pipes provided the music of 1798.
Gina Sigilitto gave a fiery speech on the vital roles of the Irishwomen of ’98 and why they will no longer be forgotten.
Bowen Smith, doctoral candidate, Fordham University, spoke of the period 1798 in New York, the leaders, their extraordinary accomplishments and again raised the question of why their memory and achievements are not sufficiently promoted.
Charlie Laverty, a living encyclopaedia, spoke of the 14 United Irishmen executed in Newfoundland in 1800, the very generous offer from Cuba, the uprising in Australia, the location of numerous graves and promised more.
The speakers accomplished their goals. They demonstrated the enormous and rich legacy left behind in America by the people and events of 1798 in Ireland.
Erin Gray (née Emmet) who is a direct descendant of Thomas Addis Emmet placed a wreath at the monument and thanked everyone in attendance for the moving ceremony. Gina Sigilitto placed a wreath at Dr McNeven’s monument.
Léigh Micheál Ó Coisdealadh omós an Phiarsaigh do Theobald Wolfe Tone san mbliain 1912.
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