Ceann Fine, Derek Byrne will today serve at the Advent Carol Service at Christchurch Cathedral.
The service to mark the coming of the birth of Christ begins at 5pm and all are welcome.
Clan President invited to the Irish Parliament
Clan President, Derek Byrne, has been invited to meet Eric Byrne TD at the Dail (Irish Parliament) on Tuesday the 15th of November to discuss how Finte O’Broin and The Byrnes of Leinster might play their part in “Gathering 2013″, a governmental initiative to encourage a much needed increase in tourism to Ireland to help its ailing economy.
Derek will also discuss an initiative spearheaded by The MacGillycuddy of the Reeks which involves encouraging Irish people living abroad to ask for and promote the sale of Irish produce in their local shops.
This will be Clan President, Derek Byrne’s second official meeting with members of the Irish government since taking office, as he was part of a deligation from Clans of Ireland who met with senior civil servants from the Cultural Unit of the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs on the 6th of October to discuss governmental support for their work.
Robert Emmet Memorial 20th September
Robert Emmet Memorial 20 September 2011
The Robert Emmet memorial event took place at 6.30pm at St. Catherine’s Church on Thomas Street, Dublin 8.
Clan President, Derek Byrne laid a wreath in honour of his ancestor James Byrne who was executed on the 17th of September 1803 for his role in the Emmet Rebellion.
Derek Byrne, Clan President of Finte O’Broin, laying a wreath at the Robert Emmet Memorial, Dublin, on the 20th of September 2011.
The hour-long ceremony was arranged by Frank Connolly of the Robert Emmet Society, with Philip Emmet and other members of the Emmet family being present.
Robert Emmet fled to France in March 1798 on the run following the 1798 rebellion. He remained in Paris to propagating the principles of the United Irishmen and became the centre of the revolutionary exiles. In May 1803, having received from Napoleon a promise of French support for a rising, he returned to Ireland to mobilise the fragmented remains of the Society of the United Irishmen. Settling in Rathfarnham, south of Dublin, he hired Anne Devlin, kinswoman to both Miles Byrne and the Ballymanus Byrnes, and an active nationalist, as his “housekeeper.” The attempt to take the centre of power at Dublin Castle failed but is remembered as the heroic ‘Emmet Rebellion’ or ‘1803 Rebellion’.
The ceremony was also a personal opportunity for Derek to honour the memory of his ancestor James Byrne of Naas, a follower of the Byrnes of Ballymanus, Miles Byrne, and then Robert Emmet. James Byrne was arrested in possession of a pike on the 23rd of July 1803 and taken to Dublin where he was hung outside St. Catherine’s Church, Townsend Street on the 17th of September. Three days later Robert Emmet was also executed outside St. Catherine’s.
A plinth outside St. Catherine’s Church commemorates the bravery of Robert Emmet. It was unveiled in September 1980 by Michael Mullen, General Secretary of the Irish Transport and General Workers Union on behalf of the Dublin History Workshop. Not only commemorates Robert Emmet but also James Byrne and the other men executed on that spot following the 1803 Rebellion.
Robert Emmet Memorial
Finte O’Broin is pleased to announce that Derek Byrne will be laying a wreath on behalf of Clan O’Byrne of Leinster at the Robert Emmet memorial plynth at St. Catherine’s Church on Thomas Street, Dublin on Tuesday the 20th of September.
Derek’s great, great, great, great uncle James Byrne was executed on the 17th of September 1803 for his part in the Emmet Rebellion and this will be the first time that his memory and bravery will be honoured.
The famous Myles Byrne of 1798 fame was entrusted by Robert Emmet to find men to fight in the 1803 rebellion. Support was to come from Napoleon Bonaparte but as the plans were foiled the date of the rebellion was brought forward leaving no time for Napoleon’s troops to arrive in time.
The plynth at St. Catherine’s Church stands on the very spot where Robert Emmet was hanged on the 20th of September 1803.
If anyone would like to attend this event please contact Derek Byrne for full details.
Duke of Leinster accepts
We are extremely honoured and delighted to announce that His Grace, Maurice Fitzgerald, 9th. Duke of Leinster, has agreed to become Patron of Finte O’Broin.
Myles Byrne
We are delighted to announce that we have been invited to meet with meet with Dr. Rafe Blaufarb, Co-chair of the International Napoleonic Society, to discuss working on a joint project about Myles Byrne who was a high ranking officer in Napoleon’s Irish Guard.
President of Finte O’Broin, Derek Byrne, has arranged to meet Dr. Blaufarb in London in September to examine how Finte O’Broin and The International Napoleonic Society can work together. This is a very exciting development for us which we are confident will result in a detailed account of the life of Myles Byrne.
In the mean time, our researcher, Edward Byrne Jnr. is working on collating as much information as possible on Myles Byrne and his family in Ireland before the 1798 Rebellion.
Please keep an eye of our news page for further developments.