Wexford and Wales links to 1916 Easter Rising remembered

By Dan Walsh

Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, Cllr Pip Breen, recently unveiled a commemorative plaque to remember Wexford Volunteers interned in Frongoch Prison camp in Wales after the 1916 Easter Rising.

The Cathaoirleach and members of North Wexford Historical Society were welcomed to Frongoch by Mr Alwyn Jones, Museum Curator and owner, local Cllr Elwyn Edwards of Gwynedd County Council and local historian, Dewi Davies.

Enniscorthy was centre of the 1916 Easter Rising in County Wexford with the local leaders being sentenced to death in the aftermath and over 150 men interned in Frongoch until December 1916. Frongoch became known as the “University of Revolution” or “Ollscoil na Réabhlóide” as Michael Collins, Richard Mulcahy and others shared ideas which were later used in the guerilla warfare to follow in 1919-21.

Frongoch today is a quiet country area of North Wales and the connection with Ireland is kept alive by local man Alwyn Jones, his family and friends. The museum at Frongoch is entirely run without any state support and Alwyn has spent many years building up a collection of 1916 memorabilia which he is delighted to share with visitors.

After a tour of the site and video presentation, the group assembled in the museum where Cathaoirleach Cllr Pip Breen along with the Chairman of North Wexford Historical Society, Gerard Fleming unveiled the commemorative plaque containing the names of 150 Wexford men who were detained in Frongoch after 1916.

Cllr Breen thanked Alwyn for his work in developing and caring for the site and its history, and Gerard Fleming mentioned his own family connection to the period, and the significance of the visit for all involved.

A hand carved bowl by Robert O’Connor of Gorey along with some other gifts were presented to Alwyn while Hazel Percival of Wexford Library Service also presented publications from the Wexford Library 1916 series to add to the museum collection.

The ceremonies took place during a tour of North Wales by the North Wexford Historical Society. The three-day trip included guided visits to Caernarfon Castle, Penrhyn Castle, the National Slate Museum, Segontium Roman Fort as well as Frongoch and concluded the society’s programme of summer tours.