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AS PART of the Kerry 1916 Centenary Commemorations, a ceremony will be held in Knightstown, Valentia, on Sunday, April 17, to mark the role of local brothers Timothy and Eugene Ring and their cousin Rosalie Rice in the Easter Rising of 1916.

Timothy and Eugene Ring worked at the Valentia Island Cable Station. Timothy was a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and was enlisted by the Supreme Council of the IRB at the beginning of 1916 to send an apparently innocuous but coded message to Clan na Gael in America and its leader, John Devoy.

With the assistance of their first cousin, Rosalie Rice, who worked at Kenmare Post Office, a telegram was sent from the post office via the cable station and to New York on Easter Monday colloquially known to have said “Mother operated on successfully today. Signed, Kathleen”, though a recent discovery has shown this to be “Tom operated on successfully, today, Margaret O’Sullivan”.

The event on Sunday, April 17, at 3pm will involve the unveiling of a commemorative stone to Timothy and Eugene Ring and Rosalie Rice (in the public area directly opposite the Cable Station at Knightstown, Valentia Island).
Kerry 2016 co-ordinator and arts officer with Kerry County Council, Kate Kennelly said there will be a flag-raising ceremony by the Defence Forces and there will be performances from the Valentia Pipe Band and baritone Gavin Ring, a descendant of the Ring brothers.

“The Cathaoirleach of the Kerry County Council will deliver the keynote address and the children of the local national school will sing the national anthem. Many members of the Ring/Rice family will be in attendance and a reception will be held afterwards at the Royal Hotel. The old Cable Station building will be opened for a few hours for anyone wishing to see the location where it all happened. Everyone is welcome,” she said.

“This is the first is a series of very significant commemorations in Kerry. On April 21, we will have an event at Ballykissane Pier in Killorglin to remember the first casualties of the Rising who drowned on Good Friday and later that day, the President of Ireland, will attend a ceremony at Banna Strand to honour Sir Roger Casement.”
 

 
Timothy and Eugene Ring.