Patrick Marnham

Sir Roger Casement never deserved to hang

Executed as one of the leaders of the Easter Rising, he was absent from Dublin at the time of the doomed insurrection – and actually tried to prevent it

Sir Roger Casement does not fit either the heroic Irish narrative of his life or the official English account. [George Rinhart/Corbis via Getty Images] 
issue 06 April 2024

Telling the story of Sir Roger Casement’s life is a challenge for any biographer. In the land of his birth, he is remembered as a national hero. His remains lie in the Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin beside the graves of Daniel O’Connell and Charles Stewart Parnell. He is there because he was hanged in Pentonville Prison in August 1916 as one of the leaders of the Easter Rising. The awkward fact that Casement had become opposed to the Rising and had tried to prevent it does not fit either the heroic Irish narrative of his life or the official English account of the wartime traitor who died on the gallows.

Casement landed near Tralee, knowing that the rebellion was doomed to failure and hoping to stop it

Taken on its own terms the armed uprising in Dublin on Easter Monday 1916 was a catastrophic failure. Since there were on that morning 150,000 Irishmen serving with the British forces in France, widespread popular support was unlikely to be available.

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in