Two New Books on Prison from Derry writer

Two new books examine aspects of prison history

Published in March and April by Derry born author Eoghan Mac Cormaic examines important and unexplored aspects of prison life among republican prisoners stretching back to the mid 19th century. Gaeil agus Géibheann (Coiscéim) explores the history of the Irish language in prisons. Written in Irish the book opens with the resignation of Dubhghlas de hÍde from Conradh na Gaeilge in 1915 but then draws from a wide range of sources, including statements given to the Bureau of Military History; previously unpublished minutes from a 1940s prison Irish language ‘Cumann Gaelach’; and the writings of, among others, Colm Ó Gaora, Máirtín Ó Cadhain, Countess Marcievicz and through to the writings of Bobby Sands in the 1970s. The study gives a very readable history of how republican prisoners took as a motto Pearse’s call at the graveside of O’Donovan Rossa for an Ireland not only free but Gaelic, not only Gaelic but free, and indeed firmly places O’Donovan Rossa in the long story of prisoners promoting Irish while ‘faoi ghlas’. Yet contradictions within the republican and language movements are also examined – stories are related of language activists in one generation eventually acting to stifle the use of Irish in a later generation, but in each successive period of imprisonment both north and south of the border the learning of the language, and the steady conversion of republicans to the language cause is well documented. Imagine a small jailtacht being established in Reading Gaol in 1916 or of a number of huts where prisoners spoke only in Irish in the Curragh in the 1940s, and the same occurring in prisons in the 1970s, 80s and 1990s. This book tells a remarkable tale, and Mac Cormaic remembers two former prisoners who contributed so much to the development of the language after their release by dedicating his book to Donncha Mac Niallais and to Matt Lundy.

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The Galway based author also publishes a second book, in English: Captive Columns, (Greenisland Press) in April. The book examines ‘an underground prison press’ developed by republican prisoners as far back as 1865 and tells the facinating story of a newspaper which ran for seven editions aboard a convict ship taking Fenians to Australia or of the complete newspaper published – and actually printed – without detection by the authorities by Tom Clarke in Chatham prison in the 1880s. Mac Cormaic recalls over sixty prison newspaper titles including three published in Frongoch alone; bilingual papers published in Lewes Prison post 1916; and prison papers being published in the heat of the Civil War by Liam Mellows and Peadar O’Donnell. The book looks at the design, creation and production of papers in both internment camps and in sentenced prison conditions, with the writers and editors covertly copying their papers, often by hand but sometimes managing to hoodwink their captors. They even managed to smuggle a roneo-copier in to one prison camp in the year 1920! The book sweeps through decade aftedecade of imprisonmnet, using published and unpublished memoirs and sources to find titles from the 1940s, 50s, 70s, 80s and ending in the late 1990s. Captive Columns has a dedication to the late Brian Campbell, author of the H Block periodical Glór Gafa.

Thoroughly researched and referenced these two books will add greatly to the understanding of what kept republican prisoners active in jail, many of whom were in prison on numerous occasions and often for lengthy periods. In recent years Mac Cormaic has published a number of books – in Irish and in English – based on his own prison experience. These new titles go beyond that, yet reflect that the author has a particular understanding and empathy with the subjects of his books. The books are available from the usual outlets locally and can be ordered directly from the author on www.pluid.ie