sign in sign up
<<
Home , Roger Casement

PROFILE

ROGER CASEMENT Single minded Far left: Roger Casement’s infamous ‘Black Diaries’.

Above left: Casement’s last letter to his sister Born in and schooled in , Sir Roger Casement Nina, . IRISH MILITARY ARCHIVES had the history of Ireland at his fingers’ ends, writes Donal Fallon Above: a letter from Casement to Captain Hans F Roger Casement, Bulmer Laffan as “a formidable indictment of a Boehm, during Casement’s Hobson would recall that system based on oppression and cruelty”. stay in Germany in 1915. “in over 50 years I have Published in 1904, the Casement Report UCD ARCHIVES met many of the well- proved crucial in mobilising international known figures of our time. forces which ultimately forced Leopold to Main: Roger Casement, I have known no one who relinquish personal holdings in the region. by artist Sarah Purser. Owas more single minded, Casement would later detail abuses against and more unselfishly devoted to the causes Putumayo Indians in , and he was he believed in.” awarded a Knighthood in 1911, something Born in Sandycove in Dublin in which “turned him into an internationally September 1864, he was the son of Captain respected figure and a household name Roger Casement, a veteran of the Regiment throughout the empire”. of Dragoons who had served in the 1842 A member of the Gaelic League from Afghan campaign. Casement’s father Donal Fallon photographed beside a 1904, he became increasingly involved would sell his commission in 1848, and monument on Parnell Square to mark in nationalist life in Ireland in the years biographer Angus Mitchell has noted that Rotunda Rink, the place where the Irish that followed. He was present in October “stories relate of how he held strong Fenian Volunteers were formed. DAMIEN EAGERS 1913 at an important meeting in Antrim, sympathies, identified with the Paris which aimed to mobilise Ulster Protestants communards, and expressed beliefs in the on board the SS Bonny. It was his short against the anti-Home Rule sentiment in principles of universal republicanism”. time with Elder Dempster that initiated his the northern province, which was being By the time Casement was only 13, both of consuming love of Africa.” actively fostered by the Ulster Volunteer his parents were dead, and from this young From 1884, Casement was working in Force. Several hundred people listened age he and his siblings were dependent the Congo for the International African to him denounce that movement, stating on supportive relatives such as their uncle Association, which has been described as that “the enemy they are being led against John, who lived near Ballycastle, Co Antrim. an “anti-slave-trade front group” of the is no enemy at all; in very truth he is their Casement was educated at Ballymena Belgian King Leopold II, who envisioned own brother.” Like Alice Milligan, Captain Diocesan School, where he excelled as a himself as an Empire builder. In spite of Jack White and other contemporaries, capable student who developed a keen this, Casement would later come to detail he demonstrated clearly that there was interest in poetry. But in 1912, when the “wholesale oppression and shocking another Ulster Protestant tradition in the approached by its headmaster for a mismanagement” in the Congo on the part politics of the time. financial donation, Casement complained of King Leopold, having joined the British Much of the discourse around Casement, of learning little of Ireland there, and Foreign Office and being appointed British both within academia and in a broader outlining a belief that the educational Consul in the eastern part of sense, has centred on the so-called ‘Black system should be “designed to build up a in August 1901. Diaries’, copies of which were circulated country from within, by training its youth Casement’s report on King Leopold’s during his trial to show “sexual degeneracy” to know, love and respect their own land gross mishandling of the Congo on his part. The contested before all other lands.” has been described by Michael authenticity of these Regardless of school curriculum, his own documents has dominated passions and interests led him to learn all SNAPSHOT Casement studies. he could of Irish history and culture. Ada ROGER DAVID CASEMENT Yet beyond this, he is also MacNeill, a contemporary of the young studied as an important critic Casement, remembered walking endlessly Born: Sandycove, Dublin, of Western . As among the Glens of Antrim with him, and 1 September 1864 Colm Tóibín has noted, “While that “Roger had the history of Ireland at his Educated: Diocesan his bones were laid to rest in fingers’ ends”. School, Ballymena Glasnevin in 1965… it is likely Young Roger’s existence was nothing that his legacy will remain if not nomadic, and from Ulster he was Affiliation: turbulent and open to debate.” destined for , where he secured Career: Clerk, surveyor, his first job as a clerk with the Elder Foreign Office official Donal Fallon is an author and historian, Dempster Shipping Company, though as currently researching republican Stephanie Millar has noted, “Office work Died: Pentonville Prison, commemoration and memory at UCD upset Casement and so he became a purser London, 3 School of History

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

The boat (inset) Roger Casement used to come ashore at Banna CasementStrand on Good Friday in . 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 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 Irish Volunteers were to supply a pilot to take the Aud into 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 . 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, LONDON, 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 . He was later hanged. GETTY Their boat was discovered by farmer John McCarthy and the N 9 , worked with Casement on ‘The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) at the seven men who Ireland Report’, an overly- 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 , 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