Sunday, April 2nd 2023 marks the 45th anniversary of the death of Con Carey, a bachelor labourer from Brosna, Co. Kerry – and the only Kerryman to be buried twice. Mairéad Heffernan tells the story behind a Documentary On One classic - listen to Con Carey and the Twelve Apostles above.
'Aithníonn ciaróg, ciaróg eile' goes the seanfhocail.Literally, this Irish proverb translates as ‘One beetle will always recognise another.’ In other words, people with similar interests or backgrounds will invariably find each other, whether in a crowded room or at an Arts event. That was certainly the case when I was introduced to Liam O’Brien, Series Producer of RTÉ Documentary on One, at a Culture Night broadcast at Cork’s English Market.
Sure enough, we quickly established the Brosna connection. The North Kerry village is home to both my mother and his. Having recalled families and characters from our own childhoods, I asked Liam had he ever been told the story of Con Carey and the Twelve Apostles and would he ever consider telling it as a Doc on One?
No, he hadn’t heard Con’s story, but once he did, he announced ‘That’s amazing ! It would indeed make a wonderful documentary and you’ll make it!’
I told him I was only suggesting that RTÉ make it, but he was adamant. ‘No, you’ll do it. I’ll help you.’
I thought about it for a moment and knowing I’d be in safe hands, I agreed.
The story itself goes back to Saturday April 1st 1978, an ordinary day in the village of Brosna, Co. Kerry. The village was busy that day because there was a burial in the parish – a local man had died. As was normal, friends and relations of the man and his family dug the grave. One of the men to dig the grave that day was Con Carey..
The following morning Con Carey himself was found dead on the outskirts of Brosna. However, with no family around, Con’s burial was rushed and unusually quick. Having died in the early hours of Sunday morning, April 2nd, he was buried the following day, Monday April 3rd, 1978. The talk was that Con had not even been properly prepared, washed or dressed for burial.
This is the story that I set out to tell and over many, many months, I made endless inquiries and drew many blanks. For good reason too, because what happened in Brosna that April in 1978 was not only an act of public defiance. It was a blow for one man’s dignity that shook the powers of Church, State and Law. Rural Ireland was finding its feet.
Having died in tragic circumstances, Con Carey’s ‘send-off’ left much to be desired. However, his friends and neighbours hatched a plan. Twelve brave souls volunteered to right a wrong and thereby restore a right they felt Con was being denied. The right to a proper Christian burial. They would carefully exhume Con's remains from his freshly dug grave and wash, clean and dress him properly for burial, before finally resealing the lid on his coffin and reburying him.
Although sworn to secrecy for decades, some of the protagonists in this drama felt the time had come to share the story of their dramatic deed. In Liam and myself, they knew they had ’two of their own’ and bit by bit, the detail of this remarkable story emerged. Such was the high regard in which Con was held, a night in his memory was organised in Kate Pat’s Bar in Brosna. The word went out and the stories flooded in. So too did a cassette of Con singing at a pub session and from Listowel, came a song, documenting the brave deeds of 1978. The Ballad of Con Carey had been penned by John B. Keane, no less, but had laid at rest until the night of our recording.
In a cathartic few months, this quiet village in rural Ireland went from secret to celebration as the parable of Con Carey and the Twelve Apostles won Gold at the PPI Radio Awards, was honoured at the New York Festivals Radio Awards and was also nominated for a Prix Europa award in Berlin. The story went worldwide and within months Con’s extended family returned to visit Brosna and a headstone was finally erected and blessed at Con’s final resting place. Justice done.
Listen to more from Documentary On One here.
