A statue of the United Irishman and rebel leader Michael Dwyer was unveiled by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, in the Glen of Imaal in Co Wicklow yesterday.
It is the first statue of Dwyer to be erected and is situated about half a mile from where he grew up in the heart of the Wicklow mountains. This year marks the bicentenary of the end of Dwyer's six-year guerrilla campaign in Wicklow against the Crown forces, which he fought in the aftermath of the 1798 Rising.
Following the failure of Robert Emmet's rebellion in Dublin, and with no hope of aid from Napoleonic France, Dwyer ceased his campaign in December 1803. Having agreed terms with the authorities, Dwyer expected to be given safe passage to America. Instead, he was held in Kilmainham Jail until 1805 before being transported to Australia on the Tellicherry.
Shortly after arriving in Botany Bay, Dwyer was imprisoned by the Governor of New South Wales, William Bligh. Bligh, infamous for his part in the mutiny on the Bounty, suspected him as a possible ringleader of a rebellion.
Dwyer was later released and went on to serve as a chief constable in Sydney before dying of dysentery in 1825.
The statue of Dwyer, which was erected by the local bicentennial commemoration committee, is of Portuguese limestone and was sculpted by Paddy Roe.
Pikemen from across the south-east marched from Knockanarrigan crossroads to the site of the new statue in Seskin yesterday morning.