I was born in Ballina, Co Mayo. My mother is also from Ballina, and my farther from Trim, in Co Meath. My Grand-father Tom Devers, was a real character. He was a well known fisherman on the River Moy. He was well known and liked and i often watched him, sitting outside the house in Lord Edward Street with his trilby hat and walking stick. Quite often there was a shout of ' Howya Tom ' and he would lift his stick up in the air to acknowledge the person. This would often be followed by a large spit across the garden, and as a young child i would be fascinated to see how far it would travel. He was just one of a large family of twenty three. The death of my younger brother Vincent had taken us back to Ireland, but my dad remained in the UK working, until we were ready to go back. I often passed away the time in that front garden building imaginary battlefields with my toy soldiers, and it often brought amusement to my cousins and grandfather alike. But it was the words that my grandfather used and the comments that he made that caused me the greatest concern. So much so that 40 years later i still remember them. I do not wish to repeat them here, because nothing will be gained from that, but what he said was bitter, and quite often it was directed towards myself. I have often wondered why he would say such things. He lived through the times i am now writing about, and it is only now that i am trying to understand what he meant. When i was 18 i went back to see him for the last time. I made my peace with my grandfather but only wished that i had asked him the questions which i would like to ask him now. I started this website on the 15th January 2009. I hope that when it is finished it will be a fitting tribute to a very important episode in Irelands history and to those who gave their lives for Irelands freedom. This website is for them.