TIONÓL MHIC EASMAINN ‘15 – Roger Casement Gathering ’15

Casement's lonely vigil from his monument at  Banna. ©Photograph: John Reidy
Casement’s lonely vigil from the monument at Banna. ©Photograph: John Reidy

The programme for the Roger Casement Autumn Gathering at Fels Point Hotel, Tralee on Friday and Saturday, September 4th and 5th will run as follows:
• 7.30pm Official Opening by Celine Slattery
• 8pm Prof. Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh, NUIG will speak on Commemorating Casement: What & Why?
• 9pm Éamon Ó Cuív, TD with his contribution: How can the people of 2016 best commemorate the ideals and work of Roger Casement?
Saturday September 5th at 10.30am Dr. Tim Horgan on the topic: Kerrymen who died in 1916.

A portrait of Roger Casement painted by the late Castleisland artist, Tom Wren.
A portrait of Roger Casement painted by the late Castleisland artist, Tom Wren.

11.30am Pádraig Ó Snodaigh on: Casement’s Legacy & Reaction to his Execution.
12.30pm Brian O’Daly with: Slí/Treoir an Raidió – the efforts made to bring a radio from Cahersiveen to Tralee.
• 4pm Guided Walk – Casement’s last walk as a free man from Banna Strand Memorial to Lios Mhic Easmainn in Ardfert.

Roger Casement was hanged for treason by the British after he was caught in a doomed bid to land a shipment of ‘German Rifles’ at Banna Strand in 1916.

Previous gatherings in Tralee have addressed the puzzling question of the apparent abandonment, lack of back-up and support for Casement in Tralee at the time of his bid to land the arms.

His hectic life as a British consul in places like: Angola; the Congo; Brazil and  Mozambique has also been discussed.

The knighthood he received from his country in 1911 – for his humanitarian interventions on behalf of Amazonian Indian slaves – counted for nothing when the British government charged him with treason in the aftermath of his tribulations in Kerry. Breis Eolais: Coiste an Tionóil / Information from: 066 71 25 205