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Sunday, June 15, 2008

RSF Colour Party in Bodenstown , Sunday 15 June 2008.

Brief report and a few pics (with more to follow) of the RSF-organised Wolfe Tone Commemoration , held today, Sunday 15 June 2008, in Bodenstown Graveyard in Sallins , Co. Kildare .

The Dublin bus , which left Aston Quay just before one pm , received a two-car 'escort' out of the city : each car had four occupants , each a Special Branch man - one car stayed behind the bus , one in front . Passengers due to be collected en route were very kindly notified by the occupants of a third car that their bus would be with them in ten minutes or so . While the passengers were waiting , ID badges were shown and names and addresses demanded...
However : the rest of the day went as planned : approximately one thousand people assembled in Sallins Village and marched behind an RSF Colour Party , a Cumann na mBan Colour Party and Republican Bands from there to Bodenstown Graveyard , about one-and-a-half kilometers away.
The main oration was delivered by Dan Hoban from Mayo , who spoke for about 50 minutes , with no script , yet managed to give a detailed history of the life and death of Wolfe Tone and of Tone's family and the circumstances in which they lived, mentioning also , in detail , the history of those who were in the leadership of the on-going 1798 struggle with Tone at that time. It was a fascinating story , delivered in a clear , strong voice by a man who knows his history. Proceedings lasted for about two hours , following which the parade formed-up and marched back to Sallins Village . Matt and his team from the National Graves Association are to be sincerely commended for the magnificent work they put into maintaining the plot , and for their work today with the flags . Go raibh mile maith agat!

We publish with this post a few photographs from today's proceedings , with more to follow . Also , a proper report and other photographs will be published in the July 2008 issue of Saoirse, which will be available on the 2nd of that month. We will publish more Bodenstown 2008 photographs on this blog and elsewhere - links will be supplied - over the next day or so.