EIGHT TO TEN THOUSAND BODIES IN MASS GRAVES! Skibbereen has had a dark past, but a bright future.

[@nakedireland]

Here's something that's just occured to me in relation to this film. I mentioned that the Maid of Erin Statue dates from the early 20th Century, I think it was completed in 1905/6. This to me is peculiar in that it commemorates the uprisings of the past, at a time when the British were still in power. Could it be that the plinth with the dates was a later addition? It seems unlikely that the British authorites could have given the go ahead for such a monument? Perhaps someone has more info on this?

[@desmcharris]

Good point Greg. As in relation to failed Irish rebellions, one of my brother's used to always say" if you had the luck of the Irish, you'd wish you were English instead!!".

[@nakedireland]

⁠​​⁠ha ha, that’s true!

[@desmcharris]

I had a bit of a think on the plinth, and it's entirely plasusable this was erected by people of a more Irish Nationalist persuasion. One of the largest political parties in 1900 was the Redmond Party! It's support was relied apoun by all other major Parties in the House Of Commons.

[@nakedireland]

⁠yeah maybe, though it’s hard to believe they could have got approval from the British for a memorial that isn’t just celebrating nationhood, but rebellion and sedition!

[@desmcharris]

@@nakedireland I reckon the people just put it up and the authorities turned a blind eye to it! Less trouble in an already troubled land. The Liberal Party kept in with the Redmonites to get Bills passed, the old age pension being just one. Remember Winston Churchill was also a Liberal and actually supported his Party's Pro Home Rule stance.

[@timothypruitt9028]

A dark past goes hand in hand with Erin... but, the beauty of our Motherland is priceless. My people did indeed leave during the great hunger but we've never forgotten our homeland. I'm 43yrs old and we've been having turf (peat) sent over from Ireland for decades as "incense". For the past decade our turf comes exclusively from Co. Offlay, Erin. I'm burning some now as I watch this wee video. Lovely! Thanks so much for all your hard work!

[@nakedireland]

Wow, burning turf as incense, what a lovely idea Timothy! A great way to keep a connection with the old country. Many thanks for this, perhaps others living abroad might adopt the same practice?

[@fintonmainz7845]

It doesn't get more murican than that.

[@joanneskinner8637]

I just subscribed to your channel. I've watched some of your lovely videos of beautiful Ireland and decided to subscribe. I enjoy the history and culture. Indeed, I would like to see a video about the famine. Indeed, it should not be forgotten. I am looking forward to your future videos. 😊 Thank you so much for continuing to share with us.

[@nakedireland]

Thank you so much Joanne for your support. Maybe I’ll get around to that Famine video then. Otherwise, I’ll try hard to keep some other interesting stuff coming for you.

[@MoonRover-3]

Thank you for such a pleasant walk and a heartfelt story about this place. However, as always. I am pleased to look at the country through your eyes 💚

[@nakedireland]

My eyes are your eyes - thanks so much.

[@desmcharris]

The architecture of Irish street's are a world on to their own. I will make one small addition to the Famine History. While staying in Kenmare back in 1980, I was taken by a local farmer to a hedge row, and there he pointed at a small rectangular stone protruding from the ground. There were perhaps three more he showed me near by along the same hedge. Turning to me and the girl I was with, he told us how under each of these were stones were unknown numbers of families, dead from the Famine, under each stone!! Not individuals, but Families!!! Dozens of Families!!

[@nakedireland]

Shocking stuff Des. And it’s a history not that well known outside Ireland. Very sad.

[@desmcharris]

The size of the stone's was incredibly sad , the poverty of them, and God alone knows who will remember these memorials when this farmer pass's away!! But after him showing me these, I did come across others. Not many, not even sure if they where, but they were set just like the one's in that field in Kenmare.

[@nakedireland]

⁠hopefully all this famine detail is documented somewhere??

[@desmcharris]

I hope so too. I told this story to the Director of the Irish Famine Museum, in a speech I delivered from the Podium of the NSW Parliament during the International Launch of the 150 year Commemoration of the Tragedy. It was here in Sydney the whole event took place.

[@nakedireland]

Des, every comment you make on here just astounds me!! You delivered a speech from the podium of the NSW parliament!!

[@markbeecroft-stretton3314]

I love the west coast of Ireland. The people are warm and the pints, plentiful! Not a proud moment of remembrance of my / our English past - for it was, predominantly, an English enforced occupation and notorious atrocities - but a past that we must face nonetheless. Which makes the welcoming nature of the Irish all the more profound, as a guest in their country.

[@nakedireland]

Yes Mark, it’s a sad history indeed. The trick is not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Living in Belfast, I know a bit about this. Thanks so much for your thoughtful response.

[@LawrenceMadden-u9r]

I was reluctant to view this video because of the “Eight to Ten Thousand Bodies in Mass Graves.” So glad I viewed it, just a beautiful town, and the beautiful new music was a surprise not as dramatic as your earlier stuff which I can’t get out of my head. I got the album and love it. Irish history is full of doom and gloom but it is tolerable in small doses the way you present it especially with your beautiful voice and Irish humor! Thank you for the education.

[@nakedireland]

Many thanks for that praise Lawrence. And so glad you like the new music too.

[@Lee-sq4qh]

lovely stuff in baltimore myself but frequent skibb once or twice a week one of the nicer town's in this country specially in the summer cork people fill my heart nd make me smile

[@nakedireland]

Wow, you’re very lucky. Baltimore is a beautiful place to live. I’ll be doing a wee video on that place soon. Thanks for watching.

[@nakedireland]

I was impressed. Nice wee place. Dark past though. Suffered really badly during the famine.

[@desmcharris]

That was Great Greg! Really enjoyed the new music.

[@nakedireland]

Ah thanks. I’m hoping the music will be met with general approval, but I guess we’ll see.

[@WelshRob1964]

Loved the opening and liking the new music. Sadly I don't have any Irish ancestors, so I love the place so much is a mystery 😅. Skibbereen looks lovely, I didn't remember any of it, though it was a long time ago I was there and only for a couple if hours. That farmers market looked good, a proper market. I need one of those bird tables a stall had for sale 😂. Wasn't Skibbereen used in a tv series? That square with statue was so familiar, I've sure I have seen in a show, or am I going loopy 😅. Ok more loopy 😅😅. I love those old pist boxes, we see them here occasionally. Great video Greg 👍.

[@nakedireland]

Not sure whether the town appears in any TV or films. I’m sure someone reading will let us know. Lovely wee place though.

[@WelshRob1964]

@nakedireland it looked a nice place, I've either seen it KZbin or tv, it was looking familiar. It would have changed too much from 22 years ago for personal memories. That art centre struck a cord.

[@nakedireland]

I just couldn’t believe that arts centre. You don’t expect to find a building like that in a town like Skibbereen.

[@fishyq5077]

Enjoying your video. Jeremy Irons doesn’t have a fishing cottage. He has restored a beautiful old fort that you can see on the road to Ballydehob. The traditional song Skibbereen sung by Sinead O’Connor is highly recommended. It evokes the pain of the famine. The last wolf in Ireland was killed on Mount Gabriel, not far from Skib. A German Luftwaffe plane hit Mt. Gabriel during WWII. Apparently, the mountain wasn’t on their map. Enjoy Wesht Cark!!

[@nakedireland]

Great collection of bullet points there. Many thanks for watching and contributing.

[@TheMcDermottFiles]

You should most certainly do a video on the Famine, it should never be forgotten and should serve as a reminder to new generations. It was totally avoidable, I'll say no more as I'll go full Kneecap 😂

[@nakedireland]

Well, I’ll give that some thought, but it’s such a difficult subject to grapple with. Skibbereen is an example of how dark that part of our history was! Thanks for watching, and for the encouragement.

[@3storiesUp]

Maybe we should begin by not calling it a famine.

[@nakedireland]

⁠why would we do that?

[@3storiesUp]

@@nakedireland I have no words .... I'll unsub and leave you at it.

[@belfast01uk]

My grandfather was from Skibbereen. He was an RIC man and moved to Lisburn with his commanding officer Oswald Ross Swanzy who gave the order to shot dead the Cork Lord Mayor, Thomas MacCurtain. Swanzy was was shot dead in 1920. He couldn't return home after the war but was a real West Cork man. West Cork is the nicest county in Ireland.

[@nakedireland]

It’s easy sometimes, if you’re from the north, to consider attacks on the police as a more recent ‘Troubles’ phenomenon, but of course it was nothing new. Mac Curtain was and is considered a hero and patriot in Cork and beyond. His assassination in front of his wife and child by the RIC obviously created a further cycle of violence (as you might expect). When Swanzy was shot in reprisal in Lisburn, an assassination directly sanctioned by Michael Collins I think, it unleashed a backlash against innocent Catholics who lived in the town. And so it goes on.. thanks for that interesting comment.

[@corkboy4523]

King street in Cork City centre was renamed Mc Curtain street in his honour.

[@nakedireland]

⁠yes, i remember walking down Mac Curtain street. So it was originally King’s Street, that’s interesting, many thanks for that.

[@WelshRob1964]

I confess I had to google maps Skibbereen, I thought I knew the name. I got stopped in a road block by the Garda there, no they weren’t after me 😄. It was a general car check and they just waved me through on UK plates. It must have been my innocent face 😝🤣. Look forward to this video 👍

[@nakedireland]

Yes it’s a lovely wee town. I hadn’t been there in years. Like all these places, it’s changed a lot.

[@WelshRob1964]

@nakedireland ​@nakedireland alas everywhere changes, not always for the best. I look forward to seeing how much, if anything, I remember of the place. I don't think we were there long.

[@WelshRob1964]

@@nakedireland I will watch with interest to see if I remember any of it. As I recall we didn't stop there long, just passing through. Being stopped by the Garda is what stuck in my head 😆

[@nakedireland]

⁠perhaps the memories will come flooding back to you??

[@WelshRob1964]

@nakedireland I hope so 👍