Day 5 Wednesday May 27th 2009 The Roger Casement Commemoration Committee (continued)

by Conor Kelly, 30 May 2009

(I should note that blog entries are dated as they are written and are posted only when I have access to Internet which is intermittent and during office hours only. I apologise for any confusion between the dating of the text and the dating of the blog post!)

Returning to posthumous Casement, here is an excerpt from a small independent publication by the Committee from 1995 to mark the staging in Ballycastle, Co. Antrim of Casement, a play by Irish-American Charlie Dunne.

‘At the beginning of the year 1953, a few of us, associated with Carey Faughs Gaelic Athletic Club, decided that in order to promote the idea of Irish nationalism in our area, we would, rightly or wrongly, light a bonfire on the top of Croc an Oir, a hill at the top of Murlough. With the help of Seamus McBride’s tractor, a large quantity of wood was hauled up from the Breeshie Plantation, down in Murlough.

At around 9 o’ clock on the evening of March 17th 1953, in the presence of 50 or 60 people, the bonfire was lit. The late Pearse Dempsey, the local vet, was among the crowd and was persuaded to say a few words. At a meeting afterwards it was decided to form a branch of Conmadh na Gaedhilge, and under that branch, to honour our Irish patriot, Roger Casement, who was executed by the British for his part in the Rising in Dublin at Easter, 1916. So was laid the foundation of the first Casement Commemoration at Murlough in August 1953, and it has been held every year since. A wooden plaque was placed on the spot chosen for the last resting place of the mortal remains of Roger Casement.

From Pentonville prison, Roger Casement sent this photograph of himself and his dog to my grandmother in Murlough. It was delivered by F. McCarroll, who ministered to Casement while in Pentonville, right up to his moment of execution. It is still in the possession of our family. It has the following inscription on it:-

‘Roger Casement and “Patrick Ni Hoolihan” who saved his life on two occasions – To M. McCarry.’

The graveyard at Murlough dates back to early Christian times, and previous to that was probably a site of pagan worship. The remains of St.Mologe’s church are still visible, although the small Celtic cross carved out of local basalt, which marked his grave, has been stolen. The alter stone has also been stolen, as has the sandstone lintel with the Latin inscription which had been over the door of the church. Folklore has it that the graveyard holds the remains of men killed in action in the 1798 Rebellion.

- Frank McCarry 1995