Comparisons are always instructive. The latter part of Casement’s life reminds me of the Ukranian nationalist Stepan Bandera. Like Casement, he thought that collaboration with an aggressive foreign power would help his cause.
Only Casement’s ineffectualness allows Mr Poots to be so forgiving of his treason. Bandera’s hands were stained with blood, so Ukrainians are not so inclined to romanticise him.
R Wright
24 days ago
A fascinating man who I have long held an interest in. His actions in the Red Rubber affair likely saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. It is just a shame he ended his life assisting the Enemy in wartime.
Stephen Walsh
24 days ago
Roger Casement did not make modern Ireland. The Black Diaries add much to our understanding of the man, in that they tell us that, far from having a unique insight into the suffering of others, he sexually exploited vulnerable boys and young men. So he was a hypocrite as well as a traitor.
Their veracity is still widely disputed. 2016 University of Notre Dame study found that both sides of the argument have serious problems and are not conclusive.
Vargas Llosa who wrote a novel on the life of Casement (and knows a thing or two about him) thought that much of their content described his erotic fantasies rather than actual sexual experiences.
Mike Rees
23 days ago
Anglo Irish kiddy- fiddler betrays his country to the enemy in wartime in 1916 and swings for it. Any of the belligerents, at that time, would have hanged such a man. Typical elitist romantic snob for whom real Irish people were a terrible disappointment!
Subhas Chandra Bose did the same during the second world war, and the Indians named Kolkata Airport after him! It’s a funny old world…
Rather more seriously, it raises a question about the limits of patriotism, and how we deal with it. William Joyce (Lord Haw-Haw) was hanged; Melita Norwood died peacefully in her bed. To put it mildly, we are not consistent. Might it be a good idea if we were a little more consistent?
Both should be capitalized, as “catholic,” with lower-case “c,” is an adjective meaning universal.
“Protestant” with a lower case P isn’t an adjective, particularly since Episcopalians and Lutherans should have all of their protestations out of their system by now. The rest of us are deeply sorry about Guy Fawkes and promise to not sell any more indulgences, but it’s probably time to move on at this point.
If Alexander Poots is anything, he’ll be a Protestant. He may even be related to Edwin Poots, speaker of the northern assembly and former leader of the DUP
Modern Ireland was founded by Michael Collins, Winston Churchill, and Eamon De Valera, not Roger Casement.
The first two men were patriots for their respective countries, and indisputably heroic.
The last two were, to be frank, rather vile, albeit for different reasons.
Casement was an extremely successful Irish separatist and anglophobe. An ardent Irish nationalist from his teenage years in England he was also a classic advanced liberal aided and promoted by London allies.
His homosexuality fitted seamlessly into those views and was probably a partial cause alongside being alienated from his Ulster Protestant family and background. Being gay and interested in men and boys he did not share the standard racism of the time, finding no fault in those he had sex with in all the Atlantic cities he cruised.
His big problem was he trusted his lads even as they betrayed him.
The Black Diaries available on Amazon explain all.
Dr. G Marzanna
23 days ago
I once wrote a paper on Casement for a History seminar. I found it sad and mystifying that he did so much good in Congo and South America but failed to understand the complexity of the Irish situation. An interesting life and looks like a good book.
UnHerd Reader
23 days ago
Mr Poots read a book it seems
Martin Dunford
21 days ago
No mention of “The Dream of the Celt” written by Mario Vargas Llosa (the Peruvian Nobel laureate) which involved several years of research in Peru, Carribean, Africa and Ireland and was widely praised as a masterly account of the life of Casement.
Hard to take this article as from an informed source on Casement given that.
Fidelis in Æternum
Comparisons are always instructive. The latter part of Casement’s life reminds me of the Ukranian nationalist Stepan Bandera. Like Casement, he thought that collaboration with an aggressive foreign power would help his cause.
Only Casement’s ineffectualness allows Mr Poots to be so forgiving of his treason. Bandera’s hands were stained with blood, so Ukrainians are not so inclined to romanticise him.
A fascinating man who I have long held an interest in. His actions in the Red Rubber affair likely saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. It is just a shame he ended his life assisting the Enemy in wartime.
Roger Casement did not make modern Ireland. The Black Diaries add much to our understanding of the man, in that they tell us that, far from having a unique insight into the suffering of others, he sexually exploited vulnerable boys and young men. So he was a hypocrite as well as a traitor.
Unfortunate yet I imagine pretty common. Revolting.
Their veracity is still widely disputed. 2016 University of Notre Dame study found that both sides of the argument have serious problems and are not conclusive.
Vargas Llosa who wrote a novel on the life of Casement (and knows a thing or two about him) thought that much of their content described his erotic fantasies rather than actual sexual experiences.
Anglo Irish kiddy- fiddler betrays his country to the enemy in wartime in 1916 and swings for it. Any of the belligerents, at that time, would have hanged such a man. Typical elitist romantic snob for whom real Irish people were a terrible disappointment!
Harsh, perhaps fair. But for balance do you not consider his efforts in Congo and Peru worthy of a mention?
Subhas Chandra Bose did the same during the second world war, and the Indians named Kolkata Airport after him! It’s a funny old world…
Rather more seriously, it raises a question about the limits of patriotism, and how we deal with it. William Joyce (Lord Haw-Haw) was hanged; Melita Norwood died peacefully in her bed. To put it mildly, we are not consistent. Might it be a good idea if we were a little more consistent?
We would be extremely busy today,if we were.
Why do you write protestant with a lower case p, but Catholic with an upper case C? Is that religious bigotry?
Both should be capitalized, as “catholic,” with lower-case “c,” is an adjective meaning universal.
“Protestant” with a lower case P isn’t an adjective, particularly since Episcopalians and Lutherans should have all of their protestations out of their system by now. The rest of us are deeply sorry about Guy Fawkes and promise to not sell any more indulgences, but it’s probably time to move on at this point.
If Alexander Poots is anything, he’ll be a Protestant. He may even be related to Edwin Poots, speaker of the northern assembly and former leader of the DUP
Because, of course, people or their ancestors never change religion!
Edwin Poots sounds like a character from a Dickens novel.
With a similar world view!
Great. Very enjoyable. And an incentive to know more about him.
A brave man who went against class and colonialism. He was an Irish man and not a traitor. Or if he was, then all of us were.
Us?
Modern Ireland was founded by Michael Collins, Winston Churchill, and Eamon De Valera, not Roger Casement.
The first two men were patriots for their respective countries, and indisputably heroic.
The last two were, to be frank, rather vile, albeit for different reasons.
STEPHEN Casement?
* Roger, fixed it.
Casement was an embarrassing eegit.
Casement was an extremely successful Irish separatist and anglophobe. An ardent Irish nationalist from his teenage years in England he was also a classic advanced liberal aided and promoted by London allies.
His homosexuality fitted seamlessly into those views and was probably a partial cause alongside being alienated from his Ulster Protestant family and background. Being gay and interested in men and boys he did not share the standard racism of the time, finding no fault in those he had sex with in all the Atlantic cities he cruised.
His big problem was he trusted his lads even as they betrayed him.
The Black Diaries available on Amazon explain all.
I once wrote a paper on Casement for a History seminar. I found it sad and mystifying that he did so much good in Congo and South America but failed to understand the complexity of the Irish situation. An interesting life and looks like a good book.
Mr Poots read a book it seems
No mention of “The Dream of the Celt” written by Mario Vargas Llosa (the Peruvian Nobel laureate) which involved several years of research in Peru, Carribean, Africa and Ireland and was widely praised as a masterly account of the life of Casement.
Hard to take this article as from an informed source on Casement given that.