May 19, 2016

Sean MacDiarmada Commemoration

The Post Polio Support Group was thrilled to be invited by the Department of Social Protection, to attend a commemorative event, in Aras Mhic Diarmada, to mark the anniversary of the May 12th execution of 1916 signatory, Sean MacDiarmada, a Polio Survivor.

Sean MacDiarmada contracted Polio in 1911, spending some months in hospital and later walking with a limp – using a hurl as a stick! Regardless, he showed great tenacity (often thought to be characteristic of Polio Survivors) in getting back on his feet, being a key part of the Easter Rising 1916, operating from the GPO in Dublin.

Roisin Nolan and Joyce Henderson are pictured with Sean MacDiarmada’s family and Minister Leo Varadkar at the commemoration of the anniversary of Sean MacDiarmada’s execution.

The commemoration took place at Aras Mhic Diarmada, on Thursday 12th May, by the Department of Social Protection, who are resident in the building that bears his name. PPSG were thrilled to attend and to meet with family members of Sean MacDiarmada, who was a Polio Survivor.

We will be commemorating this link in our next issue of Survivor, which will be a special 1916 Sean MacDiarmada issue and at the Conference with a talk from Anthony O’Connor, who has a special interest in Sean MacDiarmada, who also attended the event.

If you or your family have any personal stories regarding 1916 and participation in the rising, or even personal recollections of family anecdotes we would love to include them in our special commemorative issue. Please email do@polio.ie.

Sean MacDiarmada Commemoration

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