A Belt from Frongoch

"My grandfather, Seamus Ó Chaomhanaigh, was Officer Commanding of Óglaigh na hÉireann in Derry in 1916. After the events of 1916, republicans and republican sympathisers all across Ireland were interned by the British, including my grandfather. They were sent to Frongoch internment camp and to pass the time, the republicans produced many handcrafts (harps, Celtic crosses, etc.). Seamus made this belt while he was there. On the belt, it reads “Seachtain na Cásga,” meaning Easter Week. Alongside the text, are two flags: the Irish tricolour and the flag of the Transvaal Republic in Southern Africa. During the Boer War, Seamus was in the British Army. He saw first-hand the treatment the British dished out to the Boers and the presence of the Transvaal flag (one of the Boer republics) on this belt shows how that experience changed his world view. He later participated in the War of Independence and was arrested in April 1920 in Derry. He was subsequently sent to Wormwood Scrubs in London where he joined a hunger strike. Seamus was eventually released in a state of collapse to St James’ nursing home in London. Throughout this period, he still had the belt with him and the photo of him in the nursing home shows him convalescing with the belt on his lap. This belt is very important to our family and has been in our possession ever since."