A MAN WHO witnessed the events of the 1916 Easter Rising has been identified.
The man’s name was Tommy ‘Banker’ Walsh from Church Street in Dublin.
On Monday, a call went out to help identify a Dublin jarvey – a hackney coachman – who was present at Fairyhouse Racecourse on Easter Monday during the Rising.
The man had given an interview to RTÉ television in 1962 about the day.
“When I went into Dublin I was halted at the barricade and could go no further,” the man told RTÉ television.
Because if you did go any further, you could run the risk of a sniper. You’d be shot. And a bullet did whiz by me forehead at the Broadstone.
Identified
RTÉ revealed today that they had identified the man more quickly than they had expected.
The grandson of the man came forward to RTÉ to reveal his identity.
TheJournal.ie commenter John Slevin seemed to know who the man was first on Monday evening:
Tommy’s testimony appears as part of RTÉ’s interactive map of 1916 witness account available on their witness.
People can click on 30 locations and see or hear people tell the stories of that place during the Rising.
You can see the map and hear the testimonies on www.rte.ie/1916
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