"Don't Let Them Get It"
Ina Connolly was born in November 1896. Ina's first memories of her father was when her brother Roddy was born. The family were living in Pimlico, in the heart of the Liberties at the time. Over the next ten years the Connolly family lived in Dublin, America and Belfast.
In 1903 James Connolly went to New York and once he was settled sent for the family to join him. The Connolly's had six children, five girls and one boy. Mona, the Connolly's eldest child, was washing some clothes for the trip and while trying to move a saucepan of water that was on the range her apron caught fire. Mona suffered horrific burns and died on 4 August. She was thirteen years old. Connolly only learned of the death of his eldest daughter when the family arrived in New York.
The Connolly's remained in America for six years before it was decided they would come back to Ireland. On their return they went to Belfast and lived on the Falls Road. Despite the fact that they were quite poor Ina remembers they were a close knit, happy family.
We had no luxuries or comforts but we'd happiness.
There home was always full of visitors from the trade union movement and later the Republican movement. During the 1913 Lockout James Connolly was based in Dublin while Lillie and the children remained in Belfast. But the Connolly children helped where they could, collecting money to help the families of those on strike. Her father was imprisoned during this time. On his release he returned to Belfast and according to Ina,
All Belfast turned out to give him a warm welcome.
Influenced by their father's politics both Ina and Nora joined the 'Betsy Gray Sluagh' of Na Fianna Éireann and became members of the Belfast branch of Cumann na mBan when it was established.
Remembering the events of Easter Week Ina recalls that she and Nora and four of their friends, who were also members of Cumann na mBan came down to Dublin on Easter Sunday. They had heard of the countermanding order and wanted to speak to their father and managed to get to Liberty Hall.
After seeing her father Ina was sent to the Metropole Hotel, O'Connell Street where she saw Joseph Plunkett and told him the Volunteers in Tyrone had gotten MacNeill's orders cancelling manoeuvres. On Easter Monday morning they met Patrick Pearse who showed them a copy of the Proclamation and said,
Now girls I want you to read this for you are the first women in Ireland to see it.
The girls were to return to Tyrone and meet the Volunteers there. They wanted to take a copy of the Proclamation with them but Pearse refused. He did give them a dispatch with word that the Volunteers would strike at noon in Dublin. The message was not to fall into the hands of the authorities. During Easter Week Ina assisted the Volunteers in Clogher moving ammunition and supplies. She and Nora returned to Dublin on Sunday 30 April.
After the Rising Ina continued to be involved in the Republican movement. She went to London in 1918 and worked with the London IRA and was a contact between Michael Collins and William O'Brien, who had worked with her father in the ITGWU. She returned to Ireland in 1920 and during the Civil War fought with the anti-Treaty forces. She later married Archie Heron, a member of the Belfast Volunteers in 1916. Ina Connolly Heron died in April 1980.
Ina Connolly Heron was interviewed for the RTÉ Television project 'Portraits 1916' in 1965.
Title: |
Portraits 1916 Ina Connolly Heron |
Clip Duration: |
00:27:42 |
Material Type: |
Video |
Clip Title: |
"Don't Let Them Get It" |
Series Title: |
Portraits 1916 |
Information: |
Portraits 1916 is a collection of interviews made for television recording the personal memories of women and men who took part in the Easter Rising. In the early 1960s Telefís Éireann (RTÉ Television) began to record interviews with people who had taken part in the Easter Rising and the War of Independence. Individuals were interviewed under a working title of 'The Survivors'. The first of these interviews were organised by Jack White and recorded at the television studios in Donnybrook on 31 August 1964. Further recordings were organised by James Plunkett with the same working title of 'The Survivors' although none of these interviews were broadcast as full programmes. In 1965 meetings were held to discuss what Telefís Éireann should do to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising. Veterans continued to be interviewed despite the fact that no decision had been made as to what type of programme, if any they could be used in. James Plunkett did not see 'The Survivors' recordings working as individual programmes. In April 1965 producer Aindras O Gallchoir took over the project continuing to organise recordings with the initial intention of using the interviews to create one programme. By September Aindras O Gallchoir decided to produce seven thirty minute documentaries on the leaders of the Rising but many more people needed to be interviewed. This new project had the working titles of 'Portraits 1916' and 'Seven Signatories'. With very little time over thirty people were interviewed for this series. The interviews took place mainly in studio between October 1965 and January 1966, with the exception of Kathleen Clarke and Leslie Bean de Barra. These interviews would eventually form the basis for the series 'On Behalf of the Provisional Government' which was first broadcast in 1966. The interviews recorded form an extensive record of the events and the people involved in the Easter Rising, and were never broadcast in their entirety. Presented here under the title of 'Portraits 1916' are the personal recollections of men and women who took part in or witnessed the events of the Easter Rising. |
Local Keywords: |
1916, Easter 1916, Easter Rising, James Connolly, Liberty Hall, ICA, Patrick Pearse, Joseph Plunkett, Proclamation |
Coverage: |
Ireland |
Topic: |
Wars and Conflict |
Contributor(s): |
Aindrias O Gallchoir (Producer) |
Publisher: |
RTÉ |
Production Year: |
1965 |
Country of Production: |
Ireland |
Original Identifier: |
98D01153 |
IPR Restrictions: |
Rights Reserved - Free Access |
Rights, Terms and Conditions: |
Copyright RTÉ. This material may not be replicated in any form or manner without the prior express permission of RTÉ. Any form of reproduction in print, television, video, multimedia, web site or other electronic media or any form of dissemination for commercial or non-commercial use must be licensed by the RTÉ Archives. If you wish to licence video or audio clips, still images or text, or would like further guidance please contact us. RTÉ Archives are committed to respecting the copyright of others and have attempted to source and credit the copyright owners of all material used here. RTÉ would like to hear from any copyright owners who are not properly identified here so that the necessary corrections can be made. If you feel your copyright has not been respected please contact us. |
Item Type: |
whole |
Colour: |
Black and White |
Sound: |
Mono |
Aspect Ratio: |
4:3 |
Language: |
English (eng) |
