The parish of Taghmon is set to remember some of the history of the area in a fascinating weekend of drama, commemoration and talks from Friday, March 10 to Monday, March 13, with Tánaiste Micheál Martin due to give one of the key orations.
he weekend will see drama in Camross Hall on the Friday and Saturday nights with a production by the Killorglin Drama Group from County Kerry.
The play they are presenting is a civil war drama ‘Hunger Strike’ which tells the story of Dr Jim Ryan from Tomcoole and his 36 days on hunger strike while he was in jail during the civil war a century ago.
It was written by his wife Mairin Cregan, a noted author and playwright from Killorglin. The local drama group produced the play last year in Killorglin for the first time and felt they would like to put it on in the area that Dr Ryan was from in County Wexford.
The drama was written in the decade after the ending of the civil war and reveals the personal emotions and conflicts which often get lost in the public recollections of momentous events. As the hunger strike approached a critical stage, Nano Grady agonised over whether to persuade her husband to come off the fast.
Torn between losing him or remaining supportive of his decision, the conflict in her mind is played out in the kitchen of her farmhouse.
It’s a drama representation of the personal conflict of Mairin Cregan as she agonised over her husband Jim Ryan as he neared death after over a month on hunger strike. He didn’t die and went to become one of the country’s leading politicians until his death in 1965.
The Ryan family from Tomcoole played an instrumental role in the foundation of the Irish state but had divided loyalties in the civil war. The historic play will be staged in Camross Hall and commences each night at 8 p.m. Tickets are €15 and can be booked by contacting Margaret on 086 8369047.
On Sunday, March 12, another event to mark the 100th anniversary of the execution of James Parle, John Creane and Patrick Hogan will take place.
The three young local men were shot on March 13, 1923, in Wexford jail. They received the death sentence for their anti treaty stance and activity.
The commemoration of the centenary of this event will begin after mass in St Fintan’s Church in Taghmon which is at 10.15 a.m. Following this at 11.15 a.m. a parade – led by a colour party – will march to the newly renovated Parle Creane and Hogan Memorial Garden in the village. There the oration will be delivered by the Tanáiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Micheál Martin at 12.20 p.m.
The weekend of drama and commemoration will conclude on the Monday evening March when local author and historian Gregory Walsh will deliver a lecture called ‘Taghmon during the Reformation and more recently its part in the Civil War’. This will be held in the TAG Centre in Taghmon and will commence at 7.30 p.m.
This is a free event and it will be an opportunity for people to learn more about the history of this ancient parish.
Camross Hall Committee, Killorglin Drama Group, The Parle Creane and Hogan Commemoration Committee and Taghmon History Society have come together to bring this weekend of drama and history to life and there is something for everyone to experience.
