OUR JOURNEY TO DUBLIN FROM SWANSEA TO FISHGUARD TO ROSLARE BY TRAIN AND FERRY AND TRAIN. See Below>
I HAD FIRST GONE TO IRELAND IN 1966 FOR THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE EASTER RISING 1916, THIS WAS TO INSPIRE ME GREATLY AND MANY OTHER WELSH PATRIOTS TOO WHO HAD ATTENDED THE 1966 COMEMORATION. I WOULD RETURN TO IRELAND IN 1968 ON POLITICAL BUSINESS FOR THE PATRIOTIC FRONT, POLITICAL BUSINESS WHICH WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO MY BEING IMPRISONED IN 1969 FOR ORGANISING OPPOSITION TO THE INVESTITURE OF AN ENGLISH PRINCE FOR WALES. AFTER MY RELEASE FROM PRISON I LEFT WITH MY FAMILY INTO VOLUNTARY EXILE IN DUBLIN AND FOR TWO YEARS LIVED AND WORKED IN DUBLIN BEFORE RETURNING TO WALES WITH IDEA TO FORM A COMMEMORATION SOCIETY WHICH WAS EVENTUALLY FOUNDED AS COFIWN (We Remember). WHILST IN THIS EXILE I WAS POLITICALLY EDUCATED FAR MORE SO THAN I HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY IN WALES THIS MADE OF ME A SOCIALIST INSPIRED BY THE LIFE, TIMES AND WRITTING OF JAMES CONNOLLY IRISH SOCIALIST TRADE UNIONIST AND FOUNDER OF THE IRISH CITIZEN ARMY. BACK IN WALES THIS INSPIRED ME WITH MY BROTHER TO ESTABLISH THE WELSH SOCIALIST VANGUARD ALSO LATER CYMRU GOCH AND WORK TOWARDS ESTABLISHING AN ANNUAL 1831 MERTHYR RISING COMMEMEMORATION. MUCH POLITICALLY HAS PASSED BY SINCE BUT THIS YEAR AT AGE 70 I MORE OR LESS POLITICALLY RETIRED BUT NOT BEFORE RETURNING TO IRELAND FOR THE 100th ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION OF THE EASTER RISING 2016. THERE I MADE OUR YSBRYD COFIWN TRIBUTE AT THE GPO, VISITED A NUMBER OF EXHIBITIONS AND PARTICIPATED IN A NUMBER OF PARADES AND OTHER EVENTS ALONG WITH MAKING QUITE A BIG PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD WHICH MOVED ME TO INITIATE THIS BLOG AS A PLATFORM IN TIME FOR THIS FOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTION.
BUT IN FIRST INSTANCE I SHALL MAKE USE OF THIS BLOG WITH POSTS MAKING TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF EXECUTED IRISH REBEL MARTYRS MURDERED BY THE BRITISH AUTHORITES OVER THE FIRST 12 DAYS OF MAY 1916 ALSO I AND MY PARTNER SIAN IFAN WILL ORGANISE A NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES WHICH WILL ALSO BE TRIBUTE TO THE GALLANT IRISH FREEDOM FIGHTERS OF EASTER WEEK 1916 AND NOT LEAST THE HEROIC 16 ASSASSINATED BY AN ENGLISH FIRING SQUAD IN KILMAINHAM JAIL AND CORK DETENTION BARRACKS. HOPE THIS WELSH TRIBUTE WILL BE RECIEVED WELL AT HOME AND ABROAD NOT LEAST IN IRELAND.
