Today marks the 161st anniversary of the birth of Roger Casement who was hanged for his role in the 1916 rising. Casement led an interesting life, firstly as a British diplomat serving as British consul in Portuguese East Africa (Mozambique; 1895–98), Angola (1898–1900), Congo Free State (1901–04), and Brazil (1906–11), before siding with the Irish nationalist cause.

In 1976 the Irish Press recalled the final moments of Casement’s life as he awaited hanging in London in August 1916:

SIXTY years ago, today Roger Casement was hanged. Across the world the thoughts of Irishmen centred on Pentonville Prison where the final grim act in the vindictive persecution of the patriot was played out.

The malice which had pursued him since his capture was rapidly evident in the report of the event which appeared in the London Times under the heading : " Execution of Casement—A Traitor's Record.

" By eight o'clock," it ran, "a crowd had begun to assemble in Caledonian Road, which runs in front of the jail, but it was never very large. About 150 people, chiefly women and children from the immediate neighbourhood, stood on the footpath and fixed their gaze on the prison walls and when the breakfast hour at the local works arrived probably another hundred spectators put in an appearance. " Many of these were munition- workers. The traffic and omnibuses were in no way impeded. The passengers, like the crowd, turned their eyes towards the prison buildings.

The only intimation to the outside world that the execution had taken place was by the striking of the minute bell but the street noise was too loud that the first note was not generally heard. It reached the women munition workers, however, for they at once rushed off to work again. Near to where they stood was a group of workmen, who, on hearing the bell, raised a cheer ..." And on a note of congratulations that the job was finished at last.  The Times' editorialised " Casement paid the penalty yesterday for the greatest crime that it is possible for a man to commit against his country. No one questions the justice of his fate. He had a trial of acknowledged and even exaggerated fairness ..." That was an opinion which many Irishmen did not share….

For more information on Casement search the pages of the Irish Newspaper Archive (www.irishnewsarchive.com )