Just bought the Irish News today page 12. Muralist to pay tribute to Belfast based IRB volunteer. A good article however, the Irish News and Andersonstown News were given the article on Willie John Nolan and for reasons unknown chose not print the story of a Belfast member of the Dungannon Club Executive. The history of Willie John Nolan was documented and held in the National Museum in Dublin and also in the Up the Falls magazine written for the Falls Community Council. In addition to the article on my great great grandfather was a handwritten copy of Rory Haskins memoir dictated to Willie John Nolan. Both handwritten accounts are held in the archives in the National Museum of Dublin, we hold a photocopy of the original documents and will upload them to this blog.

We are resending the articles and information related to Willie John Nolan to the Irish News. You never know maybe this blog will help them to reconsider. 

Willie John Nolan is back row first left holding the rolled up paper

The photograph of the Dungannon Club Executive in which Willie John Nolan is featured would look as a fitting tribute to the 1916 volunteers throughout Ireland if this was recreated on the International Wall. This photograph was prominently displayed in the PRONI office lectures and on TNaG when recreating historical programmes on leading figures involved in the 1916 uprising. I also include a letter from 1966 which clearly states that Joe Nolan son of Willie John Nolan was the first person to donate information on the Dungannon Club Executive and was the founding historian on the history of the troubles. Watch this space!!!!

Letter taken from the Joe Nolan archive

Photograph of Joe Nolan wearing Willie John Nolan's volunteer hat in 1968 on Rathlin Island. Photo taken from the Joe Nolan archive.

 Front page story of the Irish News Jan 1995 on disputed first historical archive of the troubles

Confirmation from Padraig O Snodaigh from the National Museum Dublin confirming Joe as the first historian of the troubles which began in 1966