The Freedom of Roscommon is to be conferred on artist, author, doctor, art critic and academic Brian O’Doherty (89) who grew up in Ballaghaderreen. The decision to award him the honour was made at a meeting of Roscommon County Council on Monday. A letter had been sent to Roscommon County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Orla Leyden last October asking that the freedom of the county be conferred on the Booker-shortlisted author. In 1972, at Dublin’s Project Arts Centre he was reborn as “Patrick Ireland” in protest at the Bloody Sunday killings in Derry that year. In 2008, given the peace process, he ceremoniously buried Patrick Ireland at Imma in Dublin and resumed his birth name.

Source: The Irish Times January 23, 2018 21:00 UTC