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I used to have an old hard backed copy of Nora
Connolly O’Brien’s; ‘Portrait Of A Rebel Father’. This wonderful account
of James Connolly’s life, as recalled by his daughter, is a must read for
followers of the great man. I foolishly lent my copy to a comrade and that is
the last I saw of it. But that’s another story.
Áras UÍ Chonghaile has an edition in their
wonderful library. If you want to know more about James why not call into
Áras Uí Chonghaile – the James Connolly Centre, 374 Falls Road – a few hundred
metres from Connolly’s home. It’s an amazing account of Connolly’s life and
times and death.
In my copy of ‘Portrait Of A Rebel Father’ -
the one that was stolen from me - there is a photo of some of the Connolly
children outside their family home at Nos 1 Glenalina Terrace opposite the City
Cemetery on the Falls Road. They moved there from Dublin in May 1911. Three of
the six Connolly children can be seen standing outside their front door beside
a young tree. Sadly, the tree outside the Connolly home is no longer there
but the others are. Including two outside Áras Ui Chonghaile.
In a biography of her father another of Connolly’s daughters Ina
Connolly -Heron recalls the family arriving in Belfast where her father was
taking up a position as Belfast Branch Secretary and Ulster Organiser of the
Irish Transport and General Workers Union.
Ina writes: ‘Our destination was near the
City Cemetery ... We were very pleased with our surroundings: big green fields
lay at the backdoor – bog meadows, they were called.’
For years I believed that the trees that had been
planted along that stretch of the Falls Road are the same ones that are there
today. Regular readers will know that this column doesn’t spoof. I liked the
notion that these trees would have seen Connolly walking along the road as he
went about his revolutionary work. So a few weeks ago I asked my good friend
and lifelong leader Councillor Seanna Walsh to make enquiries of Belfast City
Hall.
He did so with his usual diligence. Back came the
word. ‘These trees were planted in 1903’. So my hunch about the
trees along that stretch of the Falls Road is vindicated. I feel like Detective
Colombo successfully concluding an investigation. No more will I be accused of
being like Inspector Clouseau by Ted and some of my less informed detractors
when I credit these trees as silent noble witness to James Connolly’s life in
our community.
These trees would have seen him and his wife Lillie
and their six children taking up residence in Glenalina Terrace. They would
have seen all the comings and goings in the build up to the Rising. Did Seán
Mac Diarmada visit there when he lived in Belfast? Or the Countess? She and
Bulmer Hobson founded Na Fianna hÉireann and rented a hall in the Rock Streets
across from the Connolly residence. Did Pearse ever call when he was in
Belfast? Or Roger Casement? Old Tom Clarke? Winifred Carney would certainly
have been a frequent visitor? The trees would have watched Connolly departing
for Dublin in 1916. If only trees could talk.
They have been observers of many events in their
lifetimes. From the Rising to Partition to the Hungerstrikes, to the Good
Friday Agreement and all the thousands of marches and rallies and demos and
funerals and shootings and explosions and Féile An Phobail carnivals. All the
good, sad, angry, happy, proud, confusing events of their time. That’s what
Witness Trees do. They stand witness and provide connections to times outside
of our mere human lifespan.
For example a Dutch artist, Theodore Maas, was present
at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. 2000 died that day. Maas captured the
carnage in a series of drawings. In the middle of the battlefield and recorded
by Maas stands a majestic oak tree. It is there yet. It’s called the Mighty
Battle Oak. It is over 500 years old.
The oldest tree in Ireland is in County Fermanagh.
It is a yew. Like another Yew in Maynooth - the Silken Thomas tree- it is over
700 years old. An oak tree in Belvoir Park Forest is 500 years old. It was here
when Belfast was a wee village.
We Irish have a long relationship with trees. Six
thousand years ago native woods of oak, elm, birch, ash, pine, hazel and alders
were plentiful. By 1900 only one percent survived the ravages of our
colonisers.
Native trees are embedded in our culture. The
ancient Irish lived in harmony with nature. Trees were of great spiritual value
to them. They were sacred. Many were used as protection against evil. Others
are associated with holy places. Or fairies. Holy wells. Thirteen thousand
Irish townland names mention trees. Many of these ancient pagan groves were
colonised by the Christians. But their old names persist. Sometimes in a
combination of the Irish ‘Cill’ – Church - with tree names.
So our Falls Road Witness Trees are not on their
own. They are survivors. Incidentally, apart from the tree outside 1 Glenalina
Terrace I have a vague recollection that at least one of other trees close to
Saint John’s Chapel was cut down in an act of subversive stupidity some time
ago. And finally all of this came into my head recently when I finished a new
book of short stories to be published next year. Its name is The Witness Tree.
More of that anon.
In the meantime if you pass our Falls Road Witness
Trees salute them. They knew James Connolly. And he knew them.
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