Irish hero of Mexico's fight for freedom

Irish man John Riley – believed to have been from Clifden – who led the San Patricio Battalion in Mexico in the 1840s war against the US, will be the subject of a documentary on TG4 this Sunday night.

Saol John Riley, directed by Galway man Kieran Concannon, follows Kerry singer songwriter Charlie O'Brien as he revisits the sites associated with Riley and tries to discover more about the revolutionary hero’s fate.

Charlie is one of several songwriters, both here and in America, who have been inspired by the deeds of John Riley. The song Pa Los De San Patricios commemorate

s the brigade, and was included on Charlie’s first CD, Songs from an Outpost in 2007. He had read about the story in a book called The Irish Soldiers of Mexico by American historian, Mexican resident and authority on the San Patricios, Michael Hogan.

Other singers who documented events in Riley’s life include Nashville bluegrass star, Tim O'Brien who co-wrote the song John Riley with the legendary Guy Clark. New York Irish rockers, Black 47 penned a song called San Patricio as did folk singer Thom Moore, while Ron Kavana wrote The Men That God Made Mad about Riley and his men. That was recorded by Niamh Parsons and others. In addition, the Chieftains and Ry Cooder did a whole album last year around the San Patricios.

Plays have also been written about the story and Tom Berenger played Riley in a Hollywood movie based on their story, called One Man's Hero.

Film maker Kieran Concannon was aware of the story for years and curious about the sculpture called The Rifle at Clifden town centre, commemorating John Riley.

“Charlie was interested in knowing more about Riley and what became of him and so I followed him to Mexico to look at how he is remembered there. We attended last September's commemoration ceremony at San Angel, where a plaque in their honour was erected in 1959 and where they are remembered annually each September.”This year, a new monument was unveiled by the Irish ambassador – a bust of Riley. No pictures of Riley exist, but this was a sculptor's impression of him, explains Kieran.

“What was clear was the respect and gratitude that still exists in Mexico towards those men. They are national heroes. Apart from the plaque and bust of Riley at San Angel, there are several other monuments throughout the city and country, while streets are named in their honour: Irlanda, Martireses Irlande, Heroes del 47. The old Convent of Churubusco on the outskirts of Mexico City, where they fought their last battle and were captured, in 1848, is now a museum dedicated to the war, and the plaza beside it is called Plaza Batallon San Patricio.”

While making the documentary, Kieran and Charlie spoke with Mexican historians; with Larry Kirwan, the singer with Black 47; with Irish historian and writer, Ian Kenneally; with Breandan Ó Scanaill of the Clifden and Connemara Heritage Society and with an American photographer/artist resident in Mexico, Oweena Fogarty, who is creating a project on the same theme. They also filmed in Clifden for the annual John Riley commemoration in that town.

Riley's eventual fate after the war, when the Americans released him, has long been a mystery and that is something that Kieran and Charlie O’Brien explore in Saol John Riley.

The half-hour documentary touches lightly on a very complex historical subject, and through Charlie O'Brien’s eyes, viewers will see how John Riley and his deeds still enthral today's songwriters and artists.

Saol John Riley goes out on TG4 as part of the new Cogar series on Sunday at 9.30, and is repeated next Wednesday, Sept 27, at 11.30pm.