Frongoch internment camp at Frongoch in Merionethshire, 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.

History

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

1916 the camp housed German prisoners of war in a yellow distillery and crude huts, but in the wake of the 1916 Easter Rising in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

, Ireland, the German prisoners were moved and it was used as an internment camp for approximately 1,800 Irish republicans, among them such notables as Michael Collins, who were accorded the status of prisoners of war. Among the prisoners were the future 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 govern ...

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'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 replaced H. H. Asquith 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 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 Cou ...

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 * Joe Clarke * Harry Colley * Con Collins * Michael Collins *

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 Ir ...

* Philip Cosgrave * Paddy Daly * 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 musi ...

* Tom McEllistrim * Seán McGarry * Patrick McGrath * Dick McKee * Seán McLoughlin * Seán Mac Mahon * Patrick Moran * James Nowlan *

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'' newspa ...

* Joseph O'Doherty *

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 * Cathal Ó Murchadha * Liam Ó Rinn * Gearóid O'Sullivan * Kit Poole *

* Michael Staines *

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 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