Sir, – Ronan McGreevy (Home News, January 18th), quotes from a written copybook account kept by Edward Keogh of his time in the Irish Citizen Army, the 1916 Rising and War of Independence. The copybook has been kept by his son, Liam Keogh for more than 50 years.
I, my sister and two brothers are children of Seán Forde who joined Fianna Éireann in 1912, transferred to the Volunteers in 1914, and fought at the Magazine Fort (Phoenix Park) and in the Church Street Area in 1916. He was active throughout the war of Independence and the Civil War.
My father, like many veterans, did not leave us any written account of his experiences. I have been researching his history, as best I can, for the last number of years. While having received, a number of years ago, from the Department of Defence, a photocopy of his Pension Application which set out for us, for the first time, his involvement in chronological order, the Military Service Collection files released last week by Military Archives are already proving a great source of new information for us. They (along with witness statement files previously released) help us relate and put in perspective the memories and stories we heard.
Ronan McGreevy states that Liam Keogh (95) is one of the last surviving children of Easter Rising veterans. I assume that at 64, I am one of the youngest. The family and folk memories of these few remaining people, who knew the veterans intimately, provide the last opportunity to record a personal and human aspect to their deeds and lives.
Now, as the centenary is upon us, I for one, have a have a much more questioning approach than I had, say, 50 years ago. The files have helped humanise rather than lionise. Now, as I relate the stories and the man to the history, I better appreciate the uncertainties and nightmares suffered and yet, despite what may be my uncertainties, I have greater pride than ever in my father.
While we attend yearly, the Easter Sunday commemorations, the Arbour Hill Mass and the National Day of Commemoration, neither my siblings nor I received an invitation or even a notification of the recent Garden of Remembrance commemoration of the centenary of the founding of the Volunteers.
With the benefit of history and hindsight, only now available with the release of the files, is there anyone out there who might undertake to record the memories? – Yours, etc,
KIERAN FORDE,
Calverstown,
Kilcullen,
Co Kildaare.