Frongoch Autograph Book 1916 - Michael Lynch
Autograph books were commonplace in early 20th century Ireland. These were cheaply and readily available and where the owner of the book would collect autographs & comments, perhaps even a sketch or cartoon of family, friends or people they met at an array of social, sporting or cultural gatherings.
Autograph books today of the revolutionary period in Ireland are a remarkable insight to the period, particularly those dating from May to December 1916.
In May 1916 following the end of the Rising, mass detention of known or suspected Republican participants and sympathisers throughout Ireland took place. Most of these Irish detainees found themselves deported to Britain and imprisoned without trial in a number of jails and in particular, one former German prisoner of war camp in North Wales - Frongoch.
Many of those jailed were only allowed to bring what they carried in their pockets and some, managed to bring autograph books (or albums). These little books became significant items, a means to collect signatures, comments and shared messages of support of those who were imprisoned for an unknown period of time in various jails.
Today, surviving examples of republican autograph albums from 1916 are complex collections of original writing and artwork (all the more remarkable considering that pens and coloured inks were rarely available in prisons and certainly treasured by their owners), remembered refrains from political speeches and ballads, and sentiments about the war and the Irish rebellion, signed by a fellow prisoner.
One example of these forms of early social media is a page filled out by twenty-six year old Michael Lynch (1890-1916) of Granig, Ballyfeard, Co. Cork from the autograph book of Patrick Brennan, of Meelick in County Clare. Both were active & known Republicans amongst the Royal Irish Constabulary detective divisions.
Michael was a step-brother of prominent IRB member and Munster Division Head, Diarmuid Lynch and was Centre of the IRB circle based in the Tracton and Kinsale area of Co. Cork. He helped to establish the Irish Volunteers in Tracton in 1914 and transported arms, ammunition, explosives and despatches aboard his motorcycle before and during Easter Week, 1916, but as with all of the Cork City and County Volunteers, did not participate in any fighting.
Hardly surprisingly, both Lynch and Brennan were quickly arrested amongst the hundreds of others in the aftermath of the Easter Rising and in their case, interned in Frongoch in north Wales from May to December 1916. There, Lynch was assigned prisoner number 476.
The autograph book featured here was in Brennan's possession during his internment and was signed by many of the internees, some of whom went on to become important players in the upcoming war of independence.
In keeping with the Rebels' aim of bringing about a revival in the Irish language – which they viewed as a cornerstone of Irish culture – large numbers of entries are written in Irish. But even if you’re fluent Gaelgoir you might have a few problems reading them as they’re written in the old Gaelic script that went out of use half a century ago. Nevertheless, this is another interesting historical resource available now.
Brennan's book was acquired by the Clare Museum in November 2014 and an Interpretive Guide to the autograph book was researched and written by Dr Tomás Mac Conmara as part of the Clare 1916 commemorative programme. (A download link is at the end of this article)
Here's the autograph book featured in a segment from RTE's 1916-2016 centenary video for Co. Clare.
Autograph books today of the revolutionary period in Ireland are a remarkable insight to the period, particularly those dating from May to December 1916.
In May 1916 following the end of the Rising, mass detention of known or suspected Republican participants and sympathisers throughout Ireland took place. Most of these Irish detainees found themselves deported to Britain and imprisoned without trial in a number of jails and in particular, one former German prisoner of war camp in North Wales - Frongoch.
Many of those jailed were only allowed to bring what they carried in their pockets and some, managed to bring autograph books (or albums). These little books became significant items, a means to collect signatures, comments and shared messages of support of those who were imprisoned for an unknown period of time in various jails.
Today, surviving examples of republican autograph albums from 1916 are complex collections of original writing and artwork (all the more remarkable considering that pens and coloured inks were rarely available in prisons and certainly treasured by their owners), remembered refrains from political speeches and ballads, and sentiments about the war and the Irish rebellion, signed by a fellow prisoner.
One example of these forms of early social media is a page filled out by twenty-six year old Michael Lynch (1890-1916) of Granig, Ballyfeard, Co. Cork from the autograph book of Patrick Brennan, of Meelick in County Clare. Both were active & known Republicans amongst the Royal Irish Constabulary detective divisions.
Michael was a step-brother of prominent IRB member and Munster Division Head, Diarmuid Lynch and was Centre of the IRB circle based in the Tracton and Kinsale area of Co. Cork. He helped to establish the Irish Volunteers in Tracton in 1914 and transported arms, ammunition, explosives and despatches aboard his motorcycle before and during Easter Week, 1916, but as with all of the Cork City and County Volunteers, did not participate in any fighting.
Hardly surprisingly, both Lynch and Brennan were quickly arrested amongst the hundreds of others in the aftermath of the Easter Rising and in their case, interned in Frongoch in north Wales from May to December 1916. There, Lynch was assigned prisoner number 476.
The autograph book featured here was in Brennan's possession during his internment and was signed by many of the internees, some of whom went on to become important players in the upcoming war of independence.
In keeping with the Rebels' aim of bringing about a revival in the Irish language – which they viewed as a cornerstone of Irish culture – large numbers of entries are written in Irish. But even if you’re fluent Gaelgoir you might have a few problems reading them as they’re written in the old Gaelic script that went out of use half a century ago. Nevertheless, this is another interesting historical resource available now.
Brennan's book was acquired by the Clare Museum in November 2014 and an Interpretive Guide to the autograph book was researched and written by Dr Tomás Mac Conmara as part of the Clare 1916 commemorative programme. (A download link is at the end of this article)
Here's the autograph book featured in a segment from RTE's 1916-2016 centenary video for Co. Clare.
Michael Lynch's comment appears here - a poem that remains unknown today:
Ireland
O Nation? Though the world divide us,
In gloom or sorrow your sons are true
And him, with a century’s dawn behind us,
We vow our service again to you
You’re poor - our arms shall bring you treasure
You’re sad - we’ll labour to chase your woe
And win your liberty’s fullest measure
Dear Queen of today, as of long ago
O Nation? Though the world divide us,
In gloom or sorrow your sons are true
And him, with a century’s dawn behind us,
We vow our service again to you
You’re poor - our arms shall bring you treasure
You’re sad - we’ll labour to chase your woe
And win your liberty’s fullest measure
Dear Queen of today, as of long ago
Transcription error above: Granig House listed as Spring House.
Here's a five part TG4 documentary on Frongoch - in Irish & Welsh with English subtitles.
Michael Lynch also contributed some three pages to Joseph McGill's autograph book around October-November 1916.
Joseph McGill (1892-1970) of Rathmines, Dublin was a member of D Company, 4th battalion, Dublin Brigade, Irish Volunteers and about 24 years old at the time of the Rising. He fought at the Four Courts and in the Church Street area. Arrested and deported to Frongoch, he and all of the Frongoch prisoners were released on the 23rd of December 1916. McGill later re-joined D Companym 4th battalion and served throughout the War of Independence during which he served as an intelligence officer for the IRA.
McGills autograph book forms part of the Kilmainham Jail autograph book collection.
Joseph McGill (1892-1970) of Rathmines, Dublin was a member of D Company, 4th battalion, Dublin Brigade, Irish Volunteers and about 24 years old at the time of the Rising. He fought at the Four Courts and in the Church Street area. Arrested and deported to Frongoch, he and all of the Frongoch prisoners were released on the 23rd of December 1916. McGill later re-joined D Companym 4th battalion and served throughout the War of Independence during which he served as an intelligence officer for the IRA.
McGills autograph book forms part of the Kilmainham Jail autograph book collection.
Online Frongoch autograph books click images below to view/download
above: The Kilmainham Gaol Autograph Books collection is a trove of approximately 60 personal notebooks owned by individuals associated with the 1916 Rising and containing the personal signatures and reminiscences of many people from the revolutionary movement. The origins of most of the books date from the 1916 period and its aftermath, when large numbers of the insurgents were held prisoner by the British authorities and held in jails throughout the United Kingdom. Scraps of verse, prayers, personal mementoes or simply signatures appear on every page. Some of the signatures are of people who were hugely significant during the Rising and subsequently but most are simply from the regular men who formed the bulk of the ranks of the Irish Volunteers in 1916.
"....autograph books are fascinating examples of material culture from the Irish Revolutionary period. At the basic level the books contain a prisoners name, date and place of incarceration. In this context the prisoners are creating their own records of who was held where, an informal register of Irish prisoners for themselves that flew in the face of their highly regimented lives in British prisons. The names in the book allow us to understand who was arrested and interned in the wake of the Easter Rising. Some of the names are well known and rose to national prominence after their release. Others are less well known, and their period of imprisonment after 1916 signalled the end of their political activism. By linking the names with the Bureau of Military History Witness Statements and Pension files as this site has done it has been possible to take a name from the page of the autograph books and understand how and why these people came to be in prison. It is worth noting that the books had a life beyond prison, and some of the books, in particular “Frongoch 1916 & Dail Eireann 1919” and “Relatives of 1916 Leaders” feature autographs of people that were connected with the events of 1916 and the Irish Revolution, but were not prisoners themselves."
Michael Lynch appears in the McGill autograph book (pages 50-53)
Below: Paul Cusack's autograph book, held by the University of Kansas.
"....autograph books are fascinating examples of material culture from the Irish Revolutionary period. At the basic level the books contain a prisoners name, date and place of incarceration. In this context the prisoners are creating their own records of who was held where, an informal register of Irish prisoners for themselves that flew in the face of their highly regimented lives in British prisons. The names in the book allow us to understand who was arrested and interned in the wake of the Easter Rising. Some of the names are well known and rose to national prominence after their release. Others are less well known, and their period of imprisonment after 1916 signalled the end of their political activism. By linking the names with the Bureau of Military History Witness Statements and Pension files as this site has done it has been possible to take a name from the page of the autograph books and understand how and why these people came to be in prison. It is worth noting that the books had a life beyond prison, and some of the books, in particular “Frongoch 1916 & Dail Eireann 1919” and “Relatives of 1916 Leaders” feature autographs of people that were connected with the events of 1916 and the Irish Revolution, but were not prisoners themselves."
Michael Lynch appears in the McGill autograph book (pages 50-53)
Below: Paul Cusack's autograph book, held by the University of Kansas.
Opposite: An Interpretive Guide to Patrick Brennan’s Autograph Book - An Irish Rebel Autograph Book from Frongoch Internment Camp 1916 by Dr Tomás Mac Conmara. Part of the Clare 1916 Centenary Program.
Click to download. |
|
More on Michael Lynch - click here for an article on an Irish Volunteers Training Course in Cork, January 1916.