As Ireland gets ready to honour the centenary of the funeral of Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa, we speak to Shane Kenna about one of Ireland's most respected Fenian.
On Saturday August 1, a state commemoration will be held to honour the centenary of the burial of Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa.
The event is expected to act as a bridge to the 1916 commemoration next year in the same way that O'Donovan Rossa's funeral was seen as the beginning of the 'countdown' to the Easter Rising.
The funeral took place on August 1, 1915 and during the proceedings an unknown man stepped out of the crowd and gave a graveside oration.
The Fools, the Fools, the Fools! – they have left us our Fenian dead – And while Ireland holds these graves, Ireland unfree shall never be at peace.”
That man was Pádraig Pearse.
We spoke to Shane Kenna and the great grandson of Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa, Williams Cole. Listen back here:
