PROFILE

The boat (inset) used to come ashore at Banna CasementStrand on Good Friday in April 1916. IRISH MILITARY ARCHIVE’s final voyage

His dalliance with the Germans and the ill-fated journey of the Aud led to the hangman’s rope, writes John de Lacy

N All Saints Eve 1914, could… we have failed… let me Sir Roger Casement go back.” arrived in Berlin. He However, shortly before he left Ohad travelled from Germany, Casement wrote to America, via Kristiania (now Count Georg von Wedel, claiming Oslo) and has been variously he was travelling under duress, described as an ambassador, the mission was at odds with emissary and representative of his, “reason, judgement and the Revolutionary Directory of intelligence”. in New York. To von Wedel, Casement He came with a letter of explained: “I had always been introduction from Heinrich greatly opposed to any attempted von Bernstorff, the German revolt in Ireland unless backed Ambassador in Washington, to up with strong foreign military the Imperial German help.” Casement did suffer Chancellor, Theobald von regularly from both physical Bethmann Hollweg, and a illness and depression during his shopping list. stay in Germany, as witnessed John Devoy the Clan by his comrade Robert na Gael leader in the Monteith in the spring US, claimed the supply of 1916. of arms and a number By this time of capable officers Casement’s only from Germany would attachment to Germany “make a good start”, was his concern for the towards an insurrection members of the Irish in Ireland. Official Brigade left behind German recognition in Germany; his final of the Independence letter to the German movement in Ireland Chancellor bears was also requested, as was the witness to his concern. It could raising of an Irish Brigade from be argued that he was privately Irish prisoners of war. happy to leave Germany, Casement was not fully clandestinely seizing this successful in completing opportunity to prevent what he these objectives. Germany considered a futile insurrection. did finally consent to send In a letter to his sister after his an arms shipment to Ireland; capture he claimed: “When I it was however, based on the landed in Ireland that morning… insurrection plans submitted I was happy for the first time for by . Casement’s over a year.” agreement to return to Ireland Casement, Monteith with the arms is somewhat and Daniel Julian Bailey, ambivalent. (alias Beverley) departed On 20 June 1915, Casement Wilhelmshaven on 12 April wrote to Joseph McGarrity, 1916, on the submarine U-20. a senior Irish republican in The SMS Libau, masquerading America, regarding his failure as the neutral Norwegian ship to raise an effective Irish Aud, sailed on 9 April, from Brigade (of the 2,200 Irishmen Lubeck, carrying 20,000 rifles, 10 in Limburg POW camp, just 56 machine guns and over a million signed up): “without the Brigade rounds of assorted ammunitions. there is nothing between us The objective of the mission [Casement and the German was for Casement’s party to government]…I tried all I CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 >>>

12 November 2015 I Irish Independent Irish Independent 1916 Collection | 11 PROFILE Fateful voyage

>>> CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 rendezvous with the Aud one sea mile north-west of the most northerly of the Blasket Islands between 20 and 23 April. The were to supply a pilot to take the Aud into Fenit and disperse the cargo. The journey was ill-fated; after 36 hours sailing, the U-20 had to return to Heligoland for repairs and the three Irishmen were transferred to U-19. The tragedy of this enterprise was that due to a combination of circumstances the Irish pilot never made the rendezvous with the Aud or the U-19. Early on 21 April, Casement and his comrades rowed two miles in a small boat from the U-19 to Banna Strand. They capsized twice, and would have drowned were it not for the foresight of Monteith’s request for lifejackets and the strength of Bailey and Monteith in rescuing Casement. The three half- drowned, exhausted and hungry men made their way inland. Bad AMONG PRISONERS OF WAR IN GERMANY, 1914 PRENTONVILLE PRISON, , 1916 luck dogged the party; Monteith recalled that they were observed Roger Casement (white suit) walking freely among Irish prisoners Casement is escorted to the gallows of Pentonville Prison in London by a local girl, Mary Gorman. of war in Germany in his attempt to recruit them to come home. after he was found guilty of treason. He was later hanged. GETTY Their boat was discovered by farmer John McCarthy and the N 9 September 1914, worked with Casement on ‘The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) at the seven men who Ireland Report’, an overly- Ardfert was informed. would ultimately be ambitious plan for the Rising. The subsequent RIC search remembered as the While the plan was rejected by the resulted in the arrest of Oseven signatories Seeking Germans, Plunkett did succeed Casement at McKenna’s Fort with of the Proclamation attended in obtaining agreement to send incriminating evidence about his a secret meeting at the Gaelic a small shipment of arms and person. Bailey and Monteith had League headquarters at 25 ammunition in the spring of 1916. walked into Tralee, trying to get Parnell Square. The seven were Plunkett travelled to New York assistance from local volunteers. among those who determined to update Devoy on the outcome of Bailey was captured and turned that an armed rising against the negotiations and preparations King’s evidence, but Monteith Britain would be staged aid from for the Rising. When he returned managed to evade capture and before the end of . home, Plunkett was based at returned to America. The Aud Planning began in earnest, with the recently-purchased family was captured, her captain, Karl responsibilities for planning home in Larkfield, Kimmage, Spindler, scuttled her in the being divided amongst the which was also a Volunteer approaches to Cork Harbour on ‘leaders’. Joseph Plunkett, the training camp and arms store, 22 April. youngest of the signatories at 28, before falling ill again in April. The 1916 Proclamation was chief military strategist. the Kaiser Indeed, it was his poor health contains the clause: ‘supported… According to his sister that led to the postponement of by gallant allies in Europe’, this Geraldine, who acted as a his marriage to Grace Gifford, oblique reference to Germany was messenger during the Rising, scheduled for Easter Sunday 1916. repugnant to millions of British Plunkett ‘probably got more fun Emma Lyons on Roger His ill-health did not prevent him subjects. The manifestation out of the action than the others from participating in the Rising, of that indignation would be did’, perhaps as a result of the Casement and Joseph however. Following his capture, suffered by Sir Roger Casement chronic ill-health he experienced Plunkett was executed by firing as he was hanged for treason for much of his life. Somewhat squad on 4 May, having married on 3 August 1916, in Pentonville ironically, it was his poor health Plunkett’s undercover his fiancée just hours before his jail, the last of those executed which assisted Plunkett in playing death. following the . such a high-profile role in the operations in Germany Casement, in contrast, suffered Rising. from poor health while still in John de Lacy is a retired Irish In addition to his role as mission to Germany had three should their forces land in Germany, disillusioned at what Defence Forces company sergeant military strategist, Plunkett also basic aims: Ireland, they would do so as he considered an unsatisfactory and a recent history graduate travelled to Germany to join 1. To secure German help for liberators, much of his time in commitment to the Irish cause. (2015) of UCD Roger Casement and assist him Ireland; late 1914 was spent distracted by Realising that the Germans would in his efforts to raise an Irish 2. To educate the German the British authorities’ efforts to not provide additional assistance, Brigade and garner German people about Ireland’s situation so discredit and capture him. This he decided to travel to Ireland in support for the insurrection. as to gain support for the cause; led John Devoy to comment on a bid to stop the Rising. Landing Plunkett was chosen as he 3. To raise an Irish Brigade the success of the above aims as on Banna Strand, Casement was possessed the necessary from Irish Prisoners of War who follows: ‘Casement did his best in arrested. Unable to contact the credentials for such a trip during had been captured during the all these things, but did the first leaders, the rebellion went ahead. wartime. Needing warmer war. ineffectively, succeeded admirably Casement was found guilty of climates for his health, Plunkett In his bid to achieve these in the second, and failed badly treason in the Old Bailey and was travelled widely with his mother aims, Casement travelled in the third’. Casement recruited hanged on 3 August 1916. in 1911-12, spending time in Italy, secretly — in the guise of an only 56 of a possible 2,300 Irish Sicily, Malta and Algiers. American, ‘Mr Hammond’ — to prisoners of war for his Irish Dr Emma Lyons (UCD School of With this cover, Plunkett set the German headquarters on Brigade. History) was a researcher for the off in March 1915 on what was the Western Front between 17 These views were not unique ‘World War I Ireland: Exploring a circuitous route to Berlin, and 19 November. There, he met to Devoy, and it was for that the Irish Experience’ exhibition travelling through Spain, Italy with senior representatives, reason that Plunkett travelled to currently running at the National and Switzerland. including Count von Lüttichau Germany. It was hoped that he Library of Ireland, where she also Once in Germany he met with of the General Staff and Wilhelm could negotiate with the German held the Research Studentship in Casement, a former member of the von Stumm, head of the Political Foreign Office and convince them Irish History. Dr Lyons’ research British Foreign Office, who had Department at the German to support the planned Rising. focuses on the experience of travelled from America, funded by Foreign Office. Although he disagreed with Irishwomen during World War John de Lacy photographed Clan na Gael under the leadership While Casement had some Casement’s belief that an armed One and Catholic landownership in the Military Archives. of John Devoy. Arriving in Berlin success, convincing the German German force was necessary for and education in 17th and 18th- MARK CONDREN on 31 October 1914, Casement’s government to declare that, its success, Plunkett nonetheless century Ireland

12 | Irish Independent 1916 Collection Irish Independent I 12 November 2015