Roger Casement: the Limerick Connections

The Old Limerick Journal Spring Edition 2016 Roger Casement: the Limerick Connections by Angus Mitchell n March 1916, Roger Casement for high treason and was executed in with the passage of the Home Rule Bill. summarisedI in his Berlin diary the London. Monteith remained on the run Casement followed on from Pearse and outline of a guarded conversation with for many weeks, holed up on a farm in was more brazen in his approach. The the German spymaster, Rudolf Nadolny. County Limerick, until he escaped back appearance of ‘Sir Roger Casement’ on Plans for an insurrection in Ireland were to America. a platform would certainly have excited now prioritised at the highest political talk in many different quarters of the level in the German Foreign Office. In Despite the significant reference to city and provided an exotic touch to the the course of their exchange, Nadolny Limerick in this early plan for the Home Rule discussion. read out a letter he had received from Rising, the city is not mentioned again the IRB chief John Devoy, dated in Casement’s diary, which is surprising Born in Dublin in 1864, Casement 16/2/1916. The communication set as both Casement and Robert Monteith had distinguished himself after many out plainly the requirements for the were familiar with Limerick and the years of service in sub-Saharan Africa planned rebellion. Devoy asked for surrounding region. When Casement and Brazil as a British consular official. 100,000 rifles, trained artillery-men, was eventually arrested, however, a His investigations carried out on behalf officers and plenty of cannon. Then flag of Limerick was found among his of the Foreign Office, into outrages Casement noted the following: ‘He possessions, which had been given committed against indigenous people suggested Limerick as the best place to him on the eve of his departure by enslaved to supply rubber for a new for landing—and said that the ‘rising’ the Limerick-born, Thomas St John age of western manufacturing, brought would take place on Easter Sunday.’1 Gaffney. This unique possession would him respect and international renown. indicate that Limerick was still part He was held up as a symbol of the The idea that Limerick was the of some imagined scenario among the moral authority of the British Empire. preferred landing place for the arms various contingent plans that Casement With the journalist and activist E.D. shipment, just two months before was considering as he disembarked from Morel, he founded the Congo Reform the final plan was activated, is a detail that submarine on 21 April 1916. Association. In 1911, he was knighted that appears to have been overlooked for his courage and integrity in the in much of the mainstream analysis of While Limerick is mentioned in various conduct of his duties and his name 1916. Unsurprisingly, Dublin has come historical essays written by Casement and reputation were associated with to dominate the narrative, but certainly over the years, there is no surviving the long struggle against international in the early preparations for a rising, record of his visiting the city before slavery. Two years later, when Casement circulating between the US, Ireland and his arrival here with Patrick Pearse at emerged into the open in support of Germany, Limerick was considered of the end of January 1914 to address the Irish sovereign independence, he added critical strategic importance. Devoy’s Irish Volunteers. The two men stayed at a defiant anticolonial voice to the preference for Limerick as his chosen Cruise’s Hotel and spent a good deal of intellectual struggle for an independent place for the landing of arms was time in the company of the legendary Ireland. It was an apparent ideological doubtless based partly upon the location Fenian, John Daly and his immediate shift that confused his British Foreign of the city in the tidal estuary of the family, based at their fine Georgian Office colleagues, but Casement River Shannon. He knew he could house in Barrington Street. Details understood the logic behind this inner depend, too, on a high level of support of their visit were extensively covered evolution and was happy to speak about on the ground from a well trained local in the Limerick Leader of 26 January. it in public. Volunteer regiment. Strategists within An editorial statement entitled ‘The the German General Staff eventually Volunteer Movement’ wrote positively As he addressed the Limerick Volunteers decided against Limerick. Instead, of the founding of the movement. This that night in late January 1914, he Ballyheigue Bay and the great sweep was then followed by detailed coverage focused his talk on his experiences of beach at Banna Strand in County of the meeting in the Atheneum, where during the Boer War or second Kerry were chosen as the site for the both men spoke to a capacity crowd.2 South African War (1899-1902). He rendezvous. It was there that the Aud reminded his audience that the Boers conveying the armaments on behalf of Pearse spoke first and his speech focused were a volunteer army and put up the the IRB and the submarine, the U-19, on the responsibility of the Irish citizen ‘greatest fight against the greatest army 3 bringing Casement and his faithful to render service to Ireland. He spoke in the world.’ Casement claimed that comrade, Robert Monteith from of the historical provenance for Irish he had gone into the war in support Germany arrived on Holy Thursday. independence and the long genealogy of the empire but had emerged by the But various unfortunate circumstances of resistance to foreign rule. He end as a supporter of the Boers. He saw meant that the two vessels failed to link assured the audience that the volunteer Boer sons as young as twelve fighting up. Casement was captured, stood trial movement would in no way interfere and felt that this should inspire the The Old Limerick Journal Spring Edition 2016 Irish Volunteers in their own cause. The various pseudonyms.6 One might only Boers now had self-government and guess at the kind of conversations the were at peace. He went on to admit that two men had, but Casement doubtless his experience of that war [where he had felt enormous admiration for Daly worked mainly as an intelligence officer and his long revolutionary pedigree. reporting on the movement of arms into He would have enjoyed, too, listening Boer territory] had sown inside him the to Daly reminisce about his friendship seeds of doubt. It set him on a path with the legendary Young Irelander, leading to his rejection of the oppressive John Mitchel, and his life of sacrifice forces of empire and to embrace and adventure.7 instead the dreams and aspirations of an independent and sovereign Ireland, Casement sent a second letter to Daly where a new form of international that same day thanking him for copies compassion might flourish. of the Limerick Leader and adding that he had seen Tom Clarke the previous But his first experience of Limerick as night. Clarke, of course, was central to a spokesperson for the Irish Volunteer organizing the movement from the cover movement was a positive one. He was of his newsagent’s shop in Dublin, an highly impressed with this inaugural outlet familiar to Casement and through meeting and the impressive turnout of which he organized his subscriptions local citizenry. That night he scribbled a to various advanced nationalist note to Joseph Mary Plunkett: ‘Tonight’s newspapers.8 In a letter from Clarke meeting was a great success. Pearse spoke to Daly, Clarke made reference to that splendidly – a real orator. The Mayor Roger Casement (1864-1916) meeting with Casement commenting, visited Limerick with Patrick Pearse in presided & all went magnificently. The ‘Sir Roger Casement called this evening January 1914 to address the Irish Volunteers. finest audience I’ve seen yet in Ireland – & told me of the meeting yesterday from the faces – all handsome, strong, P.S. I have lost a “Cash” book – just and how delighted he was with his stay good, young men mostly, but many a little paper backed red a/c book with you. Both he and Pearse say your old and middle aged & the respectable *(cost 1d.!) which has some items of Limerick meeting was the best in many and well to do prominent & to the fore cash expenditure for January in it – a respects of anything they have been at 9 – most enthusiastic throughout. The few odds & ends. If it was left in your yet. That’s grand.’ Volunteers have been given a good start home might I beg that it be sent to – & if no “political” pronouncement is me by post to this address. I should be Over the following weeks, the made against the movement, Limerick much obliged. atmosphere in Limerick for the will raise the siege!”4 movement heightened. On 4 February, Don’t forget some copies of Limerick there was a large demonstration in The following morning, Pearse and Leader of y’day with the report of the support of the Irish language attended Casement left Limerick and on reaching meeting.5 by Douglas Hyde and Limerick’s his rooms in Malahide, Casement Bishop O’Dwyer. Behind the scenes, scribbled a letter to Daly on Irish Trade Addressing Daly as ‘my dear old friend’ Casement helped to link Limerick Mark paper: would suggest that the two men were into wider national networks working already well acquainted. By 1914, for the common end of independence. My dear old friend, Casement had been moving within He returned to Limerick, this time republican and advanced nationalist without Pearse, for the St Patrick’s Day I want to thank you and all your circles in both Ireland and US for well celebrations in March 1914.

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