Casement’s Bones Sent To Eire (Press, 25 February 1965)

On 24 February 1965, the British government facilitated the long-awaited return of the remains of Sir Roger Casement, an Irish patriot who was executed for high treason 49 years prior. His bones, long buried at Pentonville Prison in London, were exhumed and transported to Dublin, where they will lie in state for four days before being reinterred in Glasnevin Cemetery, a location chosen by his sister in 1925. Sir Roger Casement was originally knighted for his contributions to the British consular service. However, during the First World War, he was arrested and convicted for attempting to garner German support for the 1916 Irish rebellion against British rule. At his trial, it was alleged he encouraged Irish prisoners of war in Germany to form an Irish brigade to resist British forces. Just before his execution, he expressed a desire not to remain in the “dreadful place” where he was hanged, but rather to return to Ireland for a final resting place. In the House of Commons, Prime Minister Harold Wilson announced the successful exhumation and transfer of Casement’s remains, describing it as a resolution to a contentious chapter in UK-Irish relations. However, he clarified that Casement’s controversial “black diaries,” which reportedly indicate his homosexuality, would remain in London. Concerns were raised about the authenticity of these diaries, with some claiming they were forgeries designed to tarnish his reputation during a sensitive time, as the United States remained neutral in the war. Labour MP Emrys Hughes stressed that many Irish citizens suspected the diaries were fraudulent and hoped for their return. In the House of Lords, a Labour peer, Lord Brockway, recalled being imprisoned at Pentonville the night before Casement's execution, sharing a moment of connection with the condemned man. Casement's remains were flown to Dublin on a special Irish Airlines flight, welcomed with a military honour guard and attended by both Irish government ministers and the British ambassador to Ireland. The campaign for the return of Casement’s remains began immediately after his execution in 1916, gathering support from Irish communities worldwide. Dr Herbert Mackey, the current chairman of the Casement Repatriation Committee in Britain, has been leading this effort since 1935. Various British governments had previously rejected the requests for repatriation until this recent decision was made to finally honour Sir Roger Casement’s last wish. His remains are expected to be buried near the O'Connell monument in Glasnevin, with a simple plaque commemorating him.

The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact

The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand