Upcoming Events

Louth | History and Heritage

no events match your query!

New Events

Louth

no events posted in last week

Blog Feeds

Anti-Empire

Anti-Empire

offsite link The Wholesome Photo of the Month Thu May 09, 2024 11:01 | Anti-Empire

offsite link In 3 War Years Russia Will Have Spent $3... Thu May 09, 2024 02:17 | Anti-Empire

offsite link UK Sending Missiles to Be Fired Into Rus... Tue May 07, 2024 14:17 | Marko Marjanović

offsite link US Gives Weapons to Taiwan for Free, The... Fri May 03, 2024 03:55 | Anti-Empire

offsite link Russia Has 17 Percent More Defense Jobs ... Tue Apr 30, 2024 11:56 | Marko Marjanović

Anti-Empire >>

The Saker
A bird's eye view of the vineyard

offsite link Alternative Copy of thesaker.is site is available Thu May 25, 2023 14:38 | Ice-Saker-V6bKu3nz
Alternative site: https://thesaker.si/saker-a... Site was created using the downloads provided Regards Herb

offsite link The Saker blog is now frozen Tue Feb 28, 2023 23:55 | The Saker
Dear friends As I have previously announced, we are now “freezing” the blog.  We are also making archives of the blog available for free download in various formats (see below). 

offsite link What do you make of the Russia and China Partnership? Tue Feb 28, 2023 16:26 | The Saker
by Mr. Allen for the Saker blog Over the last few years, we hear leaders from both Russia and China pronouncing that they have formed a relationship where there are

offsite link Moveable Feast Cafe 2023/02/27 ? Open Thread Mon Feb 27, 2023 19:00 | cafe-uploader
2023/02/27 19:00:02Welcome to the ‘Moveable Feast Cafe’. The ‘Moveable Feast’ is an open thread where readers can post wide ranging observations, articles, rants, off topic and have animate discussions of

offsite link The stage is set for Hybrid World War III Mon Feb 27, 2023 15:50 | The Saker
Pepe Escobar for the Saker blog A powerful feeling rhythms your skin and drums up your soul as you?re immersed in a long walk under persistent snow flurries, pinpointed by

The Saker >>

Public Inquiry
Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005

offsite link RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail supporter? Anthony

offsite link Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony

offsite link Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony

offsite link RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony

offsite link Waiting for SIPO Anthony

Public Inquiry >>

Voltaire Network
Voltaire, international edition

offsite link Netanyahu soon to appear before the US Congress? It will be decisive for the suc... Thu Jul 04, 2024 04:44 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N°93 Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:49 | en

offsite link Will Israel succeed in attacking Lebanon and pushing the United States to nuke I... Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:40 | en

offsite link Will Netanyahu launch tactical nuclear bombs (sic) against Hezbollah, with US su... Thu Jun 27, 2024 12:09 | en

offsite link Will Israel provoke a cataclysm?, by Thierry Meyssan Tue Jun 25, 2024 06:59 | en

Voltaire Network >>

Dundalk Gaol hosts first Easter commemoration since 1928

category louth | history and heritage | news report author Friday April 29, 2011 02:47author by Ciaran C - Republican Network for Unity Report this post to the editors

First Easter ceremony is held in prison for 83 years.

Tonight, Thursday the Dundalk 2016 committee held a moving and extensive Easter commemoration within the wing of Dundalk prison.
The last time such an event was held within the walls was in 1928 when republican POWs and internerees were still being held captive before the Gaols final closure in 1931.
easter_one_2.jpg

In a very moving ceremony, participants in period costume (representing members of the Volunteers, Cumann na mBan, the Citizens Army and indeed the British Army), read the Proclamation of the Republic and re-enacted the British courts marshals which sentenced the leaders of the rising to death.
The names of all of those Volunteers who died in the rising were read out and significant mention was also made of the civilians and indeed British Army personnel who died that week.
The ceremony was interspersed at intervals with melodies and songs from local musicians who performed vocally, on the Uillean Pipes and on the flute.
Dundalk Gaol played host to many hundreds of IRA prisoners during the rising / tan war / Civil War period and beyond.
Famously in July 1922, 105 IRA prisoners broke free from the Gaol (then under Free State control) when the local Forth Northern division IRA acting under orders of GHQ blew a hole in the Vincent avenue wall using a gelignite bomb powered by a passing electric wire connected to the mains.
The attack which took place at 7.30 am is said to have 'rescued Frank Aiken from the Jaws of execution'.
Previous to the escape, 6 POWs were taken from the prison for execution by the Free State army, they included; Thos. McKeown, Piedmont, Bellurgan ; John McNulty, Carromannon, Balleeks, Co. Armagh, and Thomas Murray, Kilcarn, Navan, who were shot on a charge of being in possession of firearms. Little over a week later (Jan. 22nd), three more also paid the supreme penalty at the Military Barracks. They were Jas. Melia, Bridge Street, Dundalk; Thomas Lennon, Dowdallshill and Joseph Ferguson, Gyles' Quay. The two former had been captured with arms at Dowdallshill on 7th January, and Ferguson was found in possession of a revolver at Lordship Hall on the same date.
The following year in October 1923 over 200 republican POWs underwent hungerstrike in Dundalk Prison.
The bodies of the six executed IRA man were taken from Dundalk Gaol in October 1924 and re interred in the towns republican plot, the funeral was attacked by the Free State army who rushed the crowd with bayonets and fired live rounds in an effort to arrest a firing party determined to pay tribute to these fallen POWs.
Other historical characters who were portrayed were the mother of Padraic and Willie Pearse, and W B Yeats whose poem 'Easter 1916' "a terrible beauty is born", was read out in its entirety.

easter_two_2.jpg

© 2001-2024 Independent Media Centre Ireland. Unless otherwise stated by the author, all content is free for non-commercial reuse, reprint, and rebroadcast, on the net and elsewhere. Opinions are those of the contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by Independent Media Centre Ireland. Disclaimer | Privacy