The unusual connection between Ireland and Fron-goch

In June 1916 around 1800 Irish men were interred without charge at a prison camp in Fron‑goch near Bala in North Wales, after being rounded up by the British Army following the Easter Rising. They were there until December 1916 when David Lloyd George became Prime Minister. Prior to their arrival the camp housed German prisoners of war.

The Irish prisoners organised lessons in Irish history, Irish and Welsh languages, and in military organisation, and the camp became known as the ‘university of revolution’. On release, many of the men returned home determined to end British rule in Ireland, giving Fron-goch an unusual but critical role in Irish, Welsh and British history. To mark the centenary, the Snowdonia National Park Authority worked with the Fron-goch Heritage Committee, People’s Collection Wales, National Museum Ireland and National Library Ireland to identify, digitise and publish material relating to the internment. This included installing trilingual panels as well as using the digital Cultural Beacons technology. The Ireland-Wales Research Network also organised an academic symposium on The Meanings of 1916 Ireland and Wales to explore the significance of Fron-goch. Pupils from Ysgol Bro Tryweryn (built on the site of the former prison camp) worked with Welsh poet Myrddin ap Dafydd and composer Robat Arwyn to compose poems and songs interpreting the stories of the prisoners, performing them at an open day held at the school. The exhibition was attended by the then Irish Ambassador to the UK, Daniel Mulhall. It provided local residents and relatives of the Irish prisoners with the opportunity to share their knowledge of the internment and its personal and political impact with each other and with a new generation.

Right: Premiere performance of Sam Perkin’s Freakshow at Gregynog by the Fidelio Trio © Gregynog Festival Gregynog Festival 2016: Éire commemorated the internment, with Irish composer Sam Perkin creating Freakshow for the Fidelio Piano Trio, having taken his inspiration from the Circus of Rats which Lyn Ebenezer describes in his book Fron-Goch Camp 1916. Freakshow was premiered at Gregynog in June 2016 with the first Irish performance in Dublin in December 2016. A mini-documentary about Freakshow is available on YouTube.

Freakshow documentary: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqiYpZEbc-I People’s Collection Wales: www.peoplescollection.wales/