“Oh! To see the misted hills of Kerry and to tread the fair strand of Tralee”, wrote Roger Casement before setting out in a German U-boat for Banna Strand in Kerry. Casement writes for posterity, to explain himself. To the world, Casement, like ED Morel, is a humanitarian. To the Irish, he, like Wolfe Tone, is patriot and martyr. To the British empire, he, like Tone, is a traitor. His diary begins on October 31st, 1914, after arrival in Germany. His mission is to conclude a treaty with Germany, organise an Irish brigade among Irishmen serving in the British army who had been captured and to negotiate an arms shipment. Casement’s diary reflects his initial high hopes slowly descending into despair as realises the German high command is not serious about helping Ireland.
