An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir May 2016 www.dfmagazine.ie 14 | SALUtinG tHE FLAG by CoMDt FRAnK RUSSELL (REtD) The photograph shows Irish Volunteer Seán O'Duffy and Cadet Frank Russell saluting the flag at the Cur- ragh Camp at Easter 1966. O'Duffy is wearing the uniform he wore on active service in Easter Week, 1916. Photo: National Library of Ireland I n this centenary year of the Easter Rising, I recall my happy discovery two years ago of a photo that reminded me of my role in the commemorations of the Rising half a century ago. I was perusing Ernie o'Malley's book, 'on Another Man's Wound', given to me by my late brother Kevin, when I came upon a neatly folded page from the Sunday Press newspaper of Easter Sunday, 1966. It was part of the ground-breaking colour supplement commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Easter Rising. To my amazement and delight, it contained a large colour photo of a 1916 Volunteer, Seán O'Duffy, in his original Irish Vol- unteer uniform, presenting arms to the national flag and, on the other side of the flagpole, my then 20-year-old self in my cadet uniform, also presenting arms. The well-known Irish Press photographer, Colman Doyle, had taken this highly symbolic photo in tableau style, near Donnelly's Hollow on the Curragh, to represent the evolution of the Defence Forces from its Irish Volunteer origins. Memories of the 1966 Easter Rising Commemorations Before I came across this copy the photo had remained hidden in a history book, untouched by hand, carefully secreted by my brother for nearly 50 years! This serendipitous discovery brought back a flood of long buried memories from 1966, including my cadet class - the 39th - taking part in the two major commemorative events that year: the Easter Parade and the official opening of the Garden of Remembrance. I well remember marching six abreast up O'Connell Street towards the GPO on the Easter Parade, one of 80 cadets of the combined 39th/40th classes, along with many other army units, including overseas veterans of the Defence Forces' first major overseas UN mission to the Congo, while overhead a fly-past of four Air Corps Vampire jets momentarily drowned out the marching bands and startled the delighted crowds. A huge platform stretching the length of GPO had been erected and on it stood 600 be-medalled veterans of the Rising and the War of Independence, with President De Valera and Taoiseach Seán Lemass at their head on the viewing stand. As we reached the GPO we saluted with an 'Eyes left!' ordered by our class officer, Captain Duffy. Hundreds of thousands of people filled every nook, cranny and tree from College Green to O'Connell Street to witness this wonderful tribute to the survi- vors of 1916. The next day, my cadet class provided the guard of honour for the opening of the Garden of Remem- brance in Parnell Square; standing on the high back wall overlooking the ceremonies below and pre- senting arms when the No 1 Army Band played the national anthem. Although I never met Mayoman, O'Duffy, again after that photographic session in '66, his memory lives on in two unconnected ways. In 1932, he presented a silver cup to the nascent Irish Camogie Association, and to this day the captain of the winning All-Ireland Senior Camogie team is presented with the O'Duffy Cup. Secondly, Seán's Irish Volunteer uniform, complete with cap and boots, is now on permanent display in the 'Soldiers & Chiefs' exhibition at the National Mu- seum in Collins Barracks, Dublin. They are exhibited in a glass cabinet along with other memorabilia of the 1916 Rising, and, because of my own curiosity in old history books, a new item is being added to the col- lection. Now enjoying its place there is the once long- forgotten colour photograph of Volunteer O'Duffy and me, taken on a cold hilltop on the Curragh some 50 years ago. The crew of the first Dauphin SAR mission who airlifted an injured seaman off his trawler 70 miles west of Slyne Head, Co Galway, in August 1987. L-r: Comdt Frank Russell, Capt Jim Corby, Sgts Dick Sullivan and Eoin Sherry. Comdt Frank Russell pictured alongside his crewman, Sgt Flan Garry, in an Alouette III, circa 1977.

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