Revolutionary voices heard nearly 100 years after war

A CLOSE friend’s warning to Michael Collins not to go on that ill-fated visit to West Cork, and a lack of bitterness in ex-taoiseach Sean Lemass following the death of his brother in the Civil War — these are just some of the insights provided in a new series of interviews relating to the struggle for independence.

Though many people involved in the revolutionary period from 1916 through the War of Independence and the Civil War were subsequently reluctant to talk about their experiences, family members still learnt a lot from them.

Perhaps because they felt a responsibility to ensure the contributions of their forebears will be remembered, the descendants have fascinating stories to tell, some of which have been collated into what will undoubtedly be a much-referenced historical archive in the future.