A piece of slate, believed to be preserved from the Irish revolutionary period, has been discovered in Tralee.
The relic, which appears to contain Morse code scripture, was found in a private property in the Mall three weeks ago.
The slate is headed with the words ‘Brigade Commandant’ which indicates that it probably relates to the 1916 to 1923 period.
It’s believed the slate could relate to Morse Code training of Kerry volunteers or that the IRA was intercepting coded messages between Crown Forces who then occupied key positions in the town, such as the police barracks and Denny Street.
Cllr Deirdre Ferris, who has drafted in the help of local historian Martin Moore to crack the code on the discovery, says the find will shed some light on a lesser-known aspect of Tralee volunteers’ contribution to the war against Britain a century ago.
She hopes the find will encourage people to come forward with any stories they might have from that period.
