We were sitting in the kitchen this morning having our breakfast when Pádraig called us to change the radio station. He was bored listening to the talk. We know that he cannot (yet) change the station when he wants to, he needs someone to do that for him. What we didn’t know was that he could let us know that he wanted that to be done for him. When we changed the station from the ‘talk’ to some music he reacted with a broad smile. That was a first this morning. And a first he can justifiably be very proud of.

Between 3 May and 12 May 1916, 14 men were shot to death, including James Connolly who was shot in a chair on 12 May because he was so badly wounded he could not stand.

Today Pádraig visited Kilmainham Jail where they had organised a tour, as Gaeilge, for visitors. The old part of the jail is, unfortunately, not accessible by wheelchair. But he made it into the stonebraker’s yard where the executions took place, into the museum part and into the cafeteria.

I wonder, what did it take to carry a severely wounded man on a chair, bind him to it so he wouldn’t fall off, blindfold him and then shoot him dead?