Frongoch internment camp at

Frongoch Frongoch is a village located in Gwynedd, Wales. It lies close to the market town of Bala, on the A4212 road. It was the home of the Frongoch internment camp, used to hold German prisoners-of-war during First World War, and then Irish Republi ...

Merionethshire , HQ= Dolgellau , Government= Merionethshire County Council (1889-1974) , Origin= , Status= , Start= 1284 , End= , Code= MER , CodeName= ...

, Wales was a makeshift place of imprisonment during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and the 1916

Easter Rising The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the a ...

History

1916-Frongoch-prisoner-of-war-camp-Wales

1916 the camp housed German

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold priso ...

in a yellow

distillery Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heati ...

and crude huts, but in the wake of the 1916

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, Ireland, the German prisoners were moved and it was used as an internment camp for approximately 1,800

Irish republican Irish republicanism ( ga, poblachtánachas Éireannach) is the political movement for the unity and independence of Ireland under a republic. Irish republicans view British rule in any part of Ireland as inherently illegitimate. The develop ...

s, among them such notables as

Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to: * Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician * Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and Ge ...

, who were accorded the status of

. Among the prisoners were the future

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

actor

Arthur Shields Arthur Shields (15 February 1896 – 27 April 1970) was an Irish actor on television, stage and film. Early years Born into an Irish Protestant family in Portobello, Dublin, Shields started acting in the Abbey Theatre when he was 17 years old. ...

and sportsman and referee Tom Burke. It is a common misconception that

Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera (, ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was a prominent Irish statesman and political leader. He served several terms as head of governm ...

was also imprisoned at Frongoch. The camp became a breeding ground for the guerillas of the

Irish rebels Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, with inspired organisers such as Michael Collins giving impromptu lessons in guerrilla tactics. Later the camp became known as ''ollscoil na réabhlóide'', the "University of Revolution". Lord Decies was appointed as Chief Press Censor for Ireland after the Rising in 1916, and he warned the press to be careful about what they published.

William O'Brien William O'Brien (2 October 1852 – 25 February 1928) was an Irish nationalist, journalist, agrarian agitator, social revolutionary, politician, party leader, newspaper publisher, author and Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of ...

's ''Cork Free Press'' was one of the first papers he suppressed under the

Defence of the Realm Act 1914 The Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) was passed in the United Kingdom on 8 August 1914, four days after it entered the First World War and was added to as the war progressed. It gave the government wide-ranging powers during the war, such as the p ...

(DORA regulations) after its republican editor, Frank Gallagher, accused the British authorities of lying about the conditions and treatment of republican prisoners at the camp. The camp was emptied in December 1916 when

David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during t ...

replaced

H. H. Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928), generally known as H. H. Asquith, was a British statesman and Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom f ...

as Prime Minister. The local Welsh medium school, ''Ysgol Bro Tryweryn'', now stands on the site of the internment camp, but a commemorative plaque stands nearby, with inscriptions in

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

and English. In 2016, the hundredth anniversary of the internment of Irish prisoners at Frongoch, the local community organized a number of commemoration events and the history of the camp was widely reported.

List of notable internees involved in the Easter Rising

This list is not complete. *

Denny Barry Denis "Denny" Barry (15 July 1883 – 20 November 1923) was an Irish Republican who died during the 1923 Irish hunger strikes, shortly after the Irish Civil War. Early life Barry was born into a farming family in Riverstick, in south Co ...

List of prisoners' names
, Frongoch *

Gerald Boland Gerald Boland (25 May 1885 – 5 January 1973) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister for Justice from 1939 to 1948 and 1951 to 1954, Minister for Lands from 1936 to 1939, Minister for Posts and Telegraphs from 1933 to 1936 ...

* Tom Burke *

Michael Carolan Michael Carolan (1875 – 1930) was an Irish republican activist. Born in Belfast, Carolan joined the Irish Volunteers in 1914, then participated in the Easter Rising, although as part of the Belfast Division, he did not see any action. Follow ...

* Joe Clarke *

Harry Colley Henry Edward Colley (21 February 1891 – 18 January 1972) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin North-East constituency from 1944 to 1957. He was also a Senator for the Labour Panel from 1957 ...

Con Collins Cornelius Collins ( ga, Conchobhar Ó Coileáin; 13 November 1881 – 23 November 1937), known as Con Collins, was an Irish Sinn Féin politician. He was born in Arranagh, Newcastle West, County Limerick. He had joined the Gaelic League by 191 ...

W. T. Cosgrave William Thomas Cosgrave (5 June 1880 – 16 November 1965) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as the president of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1932, leader of the Opposition in both the Free State and Ire ...

* Philip Cosgrave *

Paddy Daly Paddy Daly (1888–1957) sometimes referred to as Paddy O'Daly, served in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence''Michael Collins: A Life'' by James Mackay, p. 132 and subsequently held the rank of major-general in the I ...

* P. T. Daly * Henry Dixon * Dick Fitzgerald * Thomas Hand *

John MacDonagh John MacDonagh (1879–1961) was an Irish film director, playwright, republican, and a participant in the 1916 Easter Rising. MacDonagh was born 4 October 1879 in Cloughjordan, County Tipperary, where he grew up in a household filled with music ...

* Tom McEllistrim *

Seán McGarry Seán McGarry (2 August 1886 – 9 December 1958) was a 20th-century Irish nationalist and politician. A longtime senior member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), he served as its president from May 1917 until May 1918 when he was one of ...

* Patrick McGrath *

Dick McKee Richard "Dick" McKee (Irish name Risteárd Mac Aoidh; 4 April 1893 – 21 November 1920) was a prominent member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). He was also friend to some senior members in the republican movement, including Éamon de Valera, ...

* Seán McLoughlin * Seán Mac Mahon * Patrick Moran *

James Nowlan James Nowlan (1862 – June 1924) was president of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) from 1901 to 1921 and is the longest serving president of that organisation. He was also a Sinn Féin representative and member of the Gaelic League. In 2 ...

Seán Nunan Seán Nunan (1890–1981) was an Irish diplomat. Details *In 1916 he was member of the Irish Volunteers in the General Post Office, Dublin garrison, fought in the Easter Rising, was interned in Frongoch internment camp and later served pr ...

* J. J. O'Connell *

Batt O'Connor Bartholomew O'Connor (4 July 1870 – 7 February 1935) was an Irish Cumann na nGaedheal (and later Fine Gael) politician. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for Dublin County from 1924 to 1935. Early life Batt O'Connor was born 4 July 1870 in Brosna, ...

Joseph O'Connor Joseph Victor O'Connor (born 20 September 1963) is an Irish novelist. His 2002 historical novel '' Star of the Sea'' was an international number one bestseller. Before success as an author, he was a journalist with the ''Sunday Tribune'' newspap ...

Joseph O'Doherty Joseph O'Doherty (24 December 1891 – 10 August 1979) was an Irish teacher, barrister, revolutionary, politician, county manager, member of the First Dáil and of the Irish Free State Seanad. Family Joseph O'Doherty's father Michael O'Doher ...

Brian O'Higgins Brian O'Higgins ( ga, Brian Ó hUigínn; 1 July 1882 – 10 March 1963), also known as Brian na Banban, was an Irish writer, poet, soldier and politician who was a founding member of Sinn Féin and served as President of the organisation from 1 ...

* Patrick O'Keeffe *

Seán O'Mahony Seán O'Mahony (also John O'Mahoney) (20 October 1872 – 28 November 1934) was an Irish Sinn Féin politician and member of the First and Second Dáil. He was born as John Mahony in Logan Street, Thomastown, County Kilkenny, to James Mahony, ...

Cathal Ó Murchadha Cathal Ó Murchadha (; born Charles Murphy; 16 February 1880 – 28 April 1958) was an Irish politician and republican. Early life He was born in 7 Albert Place East, Dublin, and was the third of 7 boys, he was the only one that married. His p ...

* Liam Ó Rinn *

Gearóid O'Sullivan Gearóid O'Sullivan (28 January 1891 – 25 March 1948) was an Irish teacher, Irish language scholar, army officer, barrister and Sinn Féin and Fine Gael politician. Early life and education Jeremiah O'Sullivan was born in Coolnagurrane near ...

Kit Poole Christopher "Kit" Poole (17 December 1875 – 27 November 1965) was an Irish soldier and military tactician who fought in the Tirah Campaign and the Second Boer War as a British Army private, as well as a captain of the Irish Citizen Army durin ...

Michael Staines Michael Joseph Staines (1 May 1885 – 26 October 1955) was an Irish republican, politician and police commissioner. He was born in Newport, County Mayo, his mother Margaret's home village, and where his father Edward was serving as a Royal Iri ...

Thomas Traynor Thomas Traynor or Trainor (27 May 1882 – 25 April 1921) was a member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) hanged in Mountjoy Prison during the Irish War of Independence. Background Traynor was born on 27 May 1882 in Tullow in County Carlow, Ir ...

Bibliography

* Brennan-Whitmore, W, ''With the Irish in Frongoch'' (Dublin 1918; republished 2013) * Ebenezer, Lyn, ''Fron-Goch and the birth of the IRA'' (London 2006) *

Notes

External links

Frongoch, Wales - a unique place in Irish history
- a website in English, Welsh and Irish dedicated to the history of Frongoch camp, including a list of Irish prisoners’ names. {{DEFAULTSORT:Frongoch Internment Camp Llandderfel History of Merionethshire Prisons in Gwynedd

Gwynedd Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, and C ...

Temporary populated places in the United Kingdom World War I sites in the United Kingdom Easter Rising World War I internment camps World War I prisoner-of-war camps Wales in World War I Internment camps of the British Empire Internment camps in the United Kingdom