Aged seventeen, Fitz enlisted in James Christopher Fitzmaurice, Friday 5 October, 7pm the British Army and was posted later to be known as ‘Fitz’, moved Dunamaise Arts Centre to France. He fought in the Battle to Maryborough (now Portlaoise) of the Somme and his bravery led at the age of four in 1902 when opening of exhibition in the gallery his father, a prison warder, was speakers transferred from Mountjoy. He Minister Charles Flanagan will officially open ‘Fitz & the 1st East-to-West Atlantic Flight’ attended the Christian Brothers’ Brendon Deacy, artist & exhibition curator School until he was sixteen. As a lad, Fitz spent every minute please take your seats in the auditorium he could, helping out in Aldritts’ Garage where motor-cars were MC: Muireann Ní Chonaill, Arts Officer & Creative Ireland Co-ordinator for Laois designed and built. The Aldritts speakers also built the fi rst aeroplane to Cllr John King, Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council be assembled in what is now the Teddy Fennelly, Chairman of the Fitzmaurice Commemoration Committee Republic of Ireland! The young Fitz assisted on the construction Brig. Gen. Seán Clancy, GOC of the Irish Air Corps of this fl ying machine and looked Alan Phelan, ‘The Portlaoise Plane’ This exhibition salutes Colonel James Fitzmaurice, him to be promoted to the rank of on proudly when it was wheeled Prof. Dr. Bernd Hamacher, University of Bremen the Irish airman affectionately known as ‘Fitz’, acting sergeant before his to the largest meadow in the Ralph James, former GOC Irish Air Corps nineteenth birthday. When the War who flew into aviation history by co-piloting the area for its maiden fl ight. Shortly Michael Parsons, Laois Heritage Society & The Heritage Council Offi ce appealed for recruits to the after becoming airborne the little first aeroplane to successfully cross the Atlantic Royal Flying Corps, Fitz applied machine crashed and was almost musical interlude by Music Generation Harpettes in a westerly direction. and entered the School of Military written-off devastating Fitz, Aeronautics at Reading in March however, in his memoirs he wrote, th 1918 for training. Eventually he was “From that moment I decided that short break On 12 April 1928, the ‘Bremen’ took off from posted to sail to France with a this new art of fl ying, if it ever Baldonnel Aerodrome with a crew of three: Fitz, fl ight squadron on 11 November – came to anything, would be one of ‘Fitz & the 1st East-to-West Atlantic Flight’ (2018) fi lm premiere Capt. Hermann Köhl & Baron Von Huenefeld. Just the day the war ended! my foremost interests in life.” produced by Louis Deacy top: Irish Army Air Corps officers, over thirty-six hours later the world changed as Baldonnel, 1926, Fitz in front During his training, Fitz fell in love Aged sixteen, Fitz became an they landed safely on Greenly Island in Canada. right: Fitz & Violet at their ‘Col. James Fitzmaurice: Transatlantic Pioneer’ (1998) fi lm and married Violet Clarke in secret wedding Irish Volunteer responding to introduced by Tim Costello, Director bottom: Fitz in a Bristol Fighter on his twenty-fi rst birthday in 1919 John Redmond’s call to set up a Fitz’s thrilling life story, from his formative years as RAF offi cers were forbidden to nationalist militia to resist the during the Civil War reception in the mezzanine in Laois to his fearless flight and legacy, is told associate with non-commissioned Ulster Volunteer Force. As the through original artefacts, information-panels & Women’s Royal Air Force members. promise of Home Rule was stalled He received invaluable experience by the British Government and Saturday 6 October, 11am short films designed & curated by Brendon Deacy. as an RAF mail pilot in peace time. Irish morale faded due to a lack Áras an Chontae, Portlaoise of real action, Fitz’s longing to be a real soldier increased. On 4 speakers WEDDING AND August 1914, Britain declared war Cllr John King, Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council WARS on Germany which led to a split Hans Rahmann in the Irish Volunteer movement After resigning from the RAF, Fitz as Redmond offered its support wreath laying at the Fitzmaurice bust returned to Dublin with his wife to fi ght alongside the Ulster and baby when Civil War broke out Volunteers. Although Fitz felt let presentation of Irish & Laois fl ags to German guests in 1922, feeling that his country down by Redmond, he remained needed him. When he presented loyal to him and as he observed himself for service at Baldonnel he fl y past by the Irish Historic Flight Association was commissioned with the rank scheduled for 11.30am (weather dependent) of lieutenant. Fitz literally fl ew into many close shaves and ambushes THE EARLY and wrote later that the Civil War YEARS “proved conclusively to the whole the role of the Irish Volunteers world that Ireland...was God’s own diminishing, he decided to join the exhibition runs from 4 – 25 October 2018 country populated by the devil’s British Army fi lled with a sense of at the Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise Monday – Friday 10am – 5.30pm & Saturday 10am – 5pm own people”. ‘thrilling adventure’. www.brendondeacy.com After making their confessions Fitz was promoted to second-in- and taking communion, Fitz and command of the Air Corps in 1925 Köhl ate breakfast quietly in the but he sought further adventure. DEPARTURES The Atlantic had been crossed by offi cer’s mess at about 4am, whilst right: Brendon Deacy Fitz’s hopes to capitalise on his the Baron oversaw the loading of air from west to east in 1919 but researching on the fame soon fell apart. Whilst in provisions which included oranges it was considered impossible to ‘Bremen’ | second America he had been instructed by which were peeled to lessen the fl y across the ocean in a westerly row: Louis Deacy the Irish Minister not to engage in direction against the prevailing filming at Baldonnel weight for a few more drops of any fi nancial activities as he would third row: the fuel! Farewells were said to the winds. A number of attempts had heroes at their book be adequately compensated on his assembled crowd at 5am and then ended fatally but Fitz eagerly launch, 1928; Pádraig return – this eventually amounted the ‘Bremen’ gathered speed. As accepted an offer to “have a go” Fleming & German to a miserly £150. Further insult THE WORLD the aeroplane was about to take with British pilot Captain R.H. counterparts reading came when he was questioned by SALUTES off, a sheep wandered across its McIntosh in the ‘Princess Xenia’ Teddy Fennelly’s the Minister of Defence about how As the history-making news of path. Undeterred, they reached (top left) in September 1927. book as the Baron’s much money he had made from the successful fl ight broke, there maximum speed thrust to rise the Unfortunately adverse weather nephew looks on the ‘Bremen’ fl ight. In February was world-wide rejoicing. The plane in the direction of the Irish forced them back to Ireland after 2018 | bottom: Fitz 1929 Fitz tendered his resignation international press paid tribute fl ying for about 300 miles west. revisiting Baldonnel midlands and on to the Atlantic. as Commanding Offi cer of the Air with victorious headlines. The in 1962 Few words were spoken on the Corps in frustration at what he crew of the ‘Bremen’ rested While Fitz was sent on a senior called ‘impossible conditions’. at the lighthouse on Greenly offi cer’s course at the Curragh Island as relief was organised another plan to fl y the Atlantic Proposing innovative ideas to to collect and take them on to THE was taking shape in Germany. establish Ireland as a leader in their destination of New York. FLIGHT Herman Köhl, who would pilot world aviation, he sadly received Mechanics also arrived to make fl ight due to the engine’s noise the ‘Bremen’, and Baron Von no backing in his own country. the ‘Bremen’ airworthy again. and the language barrier. Köhl and Huenefeld, the main promoter Another plan to sell Junkers’ Fitz alternated on the controls of the project, convinced their design patents in America ended On 30 April, the ‘Three Musketeers for three hour periods by day and technical team and fi nancial on the day of the Wall Street of the Air’, as they were now half-hour spells at night. At 21.00 backers that it would make Crash. Rumours of his socialising, being called, were treated to a GMT they were more than half sense to take off from Ireland. gambling and womanising took ticker-tape parade over a ten mile way across. Twenty four hours of their toll on his marriage and route around New York where fl ying in good weather ended as divorce proceedings ensued. over two million people lined they fl ew into a fi erce storm and PREPARING FOR the sidewalks in jubilation. The zero visibility. The storm lashed TAKE-OFF Fitz secured fi nance to enter an air ‘Irish Independent’ reported, “the without mercy for hours and the They needed an experienced fl yer race from England to Australia but cheering of the people was on a crew lamented the absence of a to join them plus the cooperation his plane was forced to withdraw scale never before experienced in radio which had been sacrifi ced in of the Irish Army Air Corps. Fitz, over a vague technicality. His last this city.” Mayor Walker presented favour of extra fuel. Temperatures who by now was offi cer-in- chance to be re-established as the fl yers with Medals of Valour plummeted below freezing point.