TUAM SUPPORT FOR LIAM LANGLEY IN FRONGOCH PRISON 1916

Liam was interned in Frongoch as members of the United Irish League Tuam were seeking support to have him released at home. A report in the Tuam Herald July 1st 1916, describes how, at a meeting of the  League, held on Sunday 24th June 1916, members passed a motion seeking an amnesty for Liam and pressing on the League to put pressure on their local MP Mr Hazleton to help get him released.                

Extract Tuam Herald Article 1 July 1916

        Of concern was the fact that his mother, a widow, was now on her own as her only child was now locked up in England .Despite professing that Liam Langley had no part in the activities of the 1916 maneuvers in Tuam, many of the men present were members of the Irish Volunteers and had drilled and trained with Liam on the run up to the Rising. The Connacht Tribune also ran a similar article on the same date and described Liam Langley as a 'most respectable and decent young gentleman'.  District Inspector Comerford is the RIC inspector who, along with three others, arrested Liam at him home at 4.30am May 8th 1916.

Interestingly Mr Hazleton M.P. had been dispatched to Tuam in November 1914, in an unsuccessful attempt, to try to persuade the Irish Volunteers to abandon their position and support Redmond's National Volunteers.

The efforts of the United Irish League Tuam were not successful, Liam was removed to Reading Jail 11th July 1916 and released 24th December 1916.

     Connacht Tribune Article July 1st 1916

    Tuam Herald Article July 1st 1916

The Typewriter

Liam was a proficient typist.  He transcribed many articles from newspapers and pamphlets.  He also wrote a numbers of articles, poems and a play.  This is the typewriter he used for many years, it is held with Liam's papers.  Liam also learned Pitman shorthand, some of his notes are in shorthand and are thus quite difficult to transcribe.

Influences on Liam Langley

Liam enjoyed reading and from an early age he was influenced by the many pamphlets and periodicals available in the early 1900's.  Below is one such pamphlet which is in Liam's collection of papers, Denvir's Monthly Irish Library. These publications consisted of collections of Irish poetry, history, and patriotic biography.  They were sold at 1d each and were referred to as Denvir's Penny Library.  This particular issue features an article by the Fenian Michael Davitt (1846-1906) , Fenian, member of IRB, agrarian agitator and founder of the Irish National Land League.  He was a labour leader, Home Rule politician and Member of Parliament.                                                                                          

As well as reading Liam Langley enjoyed drama and the theatre.  He introduced dramatic classes to the Tuam Sluagh of Na Fianna Éireann, 'The Eloquent Dempsey' being one piece staged by them. Liam attended many plays, mainly nationalist, one being The Membory of the Dead, with Constance de Markievicz in the lead role.  The programme from the play remains in his papers, this dates from around c.1912.

'Casimir Markievicz set up the  Independent Dramatic Company.  His first Irish plays feature  social comedy and obscure allegory however from 1908 in keeping with his wife’s increasingly radical stance, Markievicz’s plays veered into nationalist politics – most noted is the play the Memory of the Dead put on in both the Abbey and the Gaiety in 1910.  The theme dealt with by Markievicz was one of heroic patriotism.  Set in Sligo and Mayo during the 1798 Rising it deals with two rebels (one cautious, one hot-headed) in love with the same girl.  A wedding takes place to mislead the authorities about the planned Rising, the husband disappears and is suspected of betraying the rebels.  He is later revealed as a hero after his return in disguise and noble death.  His child is consecrated to set Ireland free, as the curtain falls.  The cast included Constance Markievicz, Helena Moloney and the young Fenian doctor Patrick McCartan and the charismatic Sean Connolly, who would later join the Abbey, and die on the roof of the City Hall during the 1916 Rising.’ (R.F. Foster, Vivid Faces, The Revolutionary Generation in Ireland 1890-1923)

Photography

From an early age Liam was a keen photographer.  He took many photographs of friends and neighbours in Tuam and later of his family.  A number of his glass plates have survived the various raids on his home by both the RIC and Free State Army as well as the many house moves during his life.  

Above is the original of the 'selfie',  Liam lined up his camera and took this photo of himself!

Daughter Ita c.1933

Son Jarlath c.1930

Unknown people, old glass plate from Liam's collection
Possibly Tuam c.1915

   LANGLEY FAMILY C.1942

Liam's wife Mollie standing, her sister Bree sitting
Children L to R Brendan, Nuala, Ita, Mairead, Jarlath 
Photo Liam Langley

With eldest daughter Ita around 1952