THIS year marks the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising in the Republic of Ireland, a bloody battle which sparked the long journey towards Irish independence.

In an S4C documentary, Pontrhydfendigaid broadcaster Lyn Ebenezer and his son and fellow broadcaster Dylan embark on a special journey to trace the history and hear the experiences of people who were instrumental in the history of establishing the Republic of Ireland.

The programme, called Rebels Iwerddon 1916 gyda Lyn a Dylan Ebenezer will be shown on Sunday, 2 October, and visits the significant landmarks of the Easter Rising in Dublin and also the former prison camp in Frongoch near Y Bala, Gwynedd, where some of the rebels were imprisoned after the uprising.

The documentary includes interviews with people who are still prominent in the campaign for a united Ireland, including Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams.

Lyn has taken an avid interest in the history of the Irish Republican movement for five decades and has since become one of the world’s foremost experts on the history of Frongoch.

“The events of 1916 may well have been the spark, but the flame was truly ignited at the Frongoch POW Camp.

“Here around 2,000 rebels were imprisoned, including Michael Collins. These were the men who would return to Ireland to continue the fight which would ultimately secure Irish independence,” says Lyn, who is considered a leading world expert on the history of the Frongoch POW Camp.

The visit is something of a personal pilgrimage for Lyn; he first visited Dublin in 1966, for the 50th anniversary celebrations.

Rebels Iwerddon 1916 gyda Lyn a Dylan Ebenezer is on tonight at 8pm on S4C (with English subtitles).

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