02: Recollections of 1916 Veterans

Veterans of the Irish Volunteers, Irish Citizen Army and Cumann na mBan recall the events that took place during Easter Week 1916.

'Ireland A Television History' was a 13 part series written and presented by Robert Kee looking at the complexities of Irish history.

The series traces the development of Ireland from pre Christian times to the late 1970s concentrating on the creation of an independent republic and the roots of the Troubles.  

'Ireland a Television History' a BBC production was broadcast on RTÉ and BBC at the same time in 1980 and 1981.

In an article for the RTÉ Guide, Robert Kee was asked is the series aimed at a British audience? He replied,

"No it's aimed at those (mainly in Britain) who are less familiar with the subject than they ought to be; and at those (in Ireland, North and South) who think they know but don't".

The accounts given here by veterans of the Republican movement are edited from the interviews filmed with them during the production of 'Ireland A Television History' in 1979.