REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE OPENING OF WICKLOW HISTORIC GAOL ON SATURDAY 30 MAY, 1998
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE OPENING OF WICKLOW HISTORIC GAOL ON SATURDAY 30 MAY, 1998
For most people – the prospect of going to a gaol is something that is inclined to concentrate the mind – and perhaps induce a certain level of apprehension about what to expect when you get there – and what it will be like to spend ‘a little time’ within its walls. For me, the prospect of visiting Wicklow Gaol was something to look forward to – as a place which celebrates the history of Wicklow and the region – and the major role that it played in so many lives and events over the last three centuries.
So I am particularly grateful to you for having invited me to perform this honour – in a year in which we commemorate the bi-centenary of the 1798 Rising – and event – or series of events - in which this building played such a prominent role. I would like to thank Blaise Treacy – the County Manager – for extending the invitation to me – and indeed Councilor Patrick Vance and the other members of Wicklow County Council - for organising such a warm reception for me today.
The restoration and transformation of the gaol – from the grim place that it was – a place that for many was one of hopelessness and despair – a place which represented so much suffering and misery - into a centre which explores the different periods in our history – a place in which we can look again at those events which shaped our destiny – and the lives of those who came through its doors – has been a major undertaking – and has been very imaginatively ‘executed’ – if you’ll pardon the pun! I would like to congratulate Wicklow County Council – who undertook all of the construction work – and who engaged the interpreters and model makers who have explored the many links that this gaol represents. It is a magnificent achievement – and one that will stand as a tribute to the Council’s vision and commitment.
Because of the number of people who passed through the cells and corridors of this building over the centuries – the links which it represents go far and wide. In particular, as the main forwarding centre for the transportation of convicts to the new British colony of New South Wales – the first shipload of whom landed there over two hundred years ago – its new role as the National Centre for Convict Transportation – is maintaining that significance in the story of those who today have descendents in Australia. Through the links being established with centres in Sydney and Port Arthur – it will provide an important source of reference for those in Australia who want to find out about their ancestral families – and those in Ireland who want to follow the lives of separated ancestors – so that in each case – they can complete the stories of their scattered families. This gaol, once a place which symbolised that scattering has become a place of reunion.
Wicklow Gaol today has an international importance – as a bridge between Ireland and Australia - which is reflected both in the extent of the exhibition space devoted to convict transportation – and in the presence here of Ambassador Edward Stevens from Australia - who himself will be returning to his country later this year - having successfully served as Ambassador to Ireland over the last four years or so. The Ambassador has taken a keen interest in this project – and his support has been very much appreciated. Though happily for him – his journey to Australia will be in more pleasant circumstances than those of the many who left Wicklow Gaol for Australia in previous generations! I myself will be paying a State Visit to Australia and look forward enormously to my first ever trip "down under". This visit is part of my own journey in understanding the shared histories of our two countries.
The story of Wicklow Gaol spans many generations – from the early 18th century – through the turmoil of the 1798 Rebellion – the post penal prison reforms which saw improvements in the treatment of prisoners – the days of convict transportation from the 1790s to the 1850s – when famous names like General Joseph Holt, Michael Dwyer and Hugh Vesty Byrne - from the 1798 Rebellion - probably had their last “bed and breakfast” here before transportation – and then the famine years – which saw a increase in the number of prisoners who had been caught stealing food – and many of whom were to end up in Australia – until facilities like Mountjoy Gaol in Dublin saw its significance diminish.
Today it has clearly taken on a new significance – a new life and purpose – and will serve as a centre of hope and enlightenment for people who want to get a glimpse at life over the last three centuries – as reflected within these walls – and who want to explore the family connections between Ireland and Australia – where around 40% of the population claim Irish decent. In declaring Wicklow Historic Gaol open – I want to pay a warm tribute to everybody who has made this possible. I have absolutely no doubt that your investment in time, energy and resources will be handsomely rewarded for many generations to come.