The 150th anniversary of the Catalpa escape - Australia’s most daring maritime prison break! - is at the heart of the ‘Fenians Festival 2026’, from March 23 to 31.
In 1876 the highly-planned escape and rescue resulted in six Irish political prisoners (Fenians) escaping from Fremantle and making their way to Rockingham to rendezvous with the Catalpa, an American whaling ship. The Catalpa had sailed from America on a secret mission to rescue the men.
‘Fenians Festival 2026’ offers a week of events including Irish music and poetry; international guests; history talks, panel discussions and a Family Day.
Irish singer/songwriter Declan O’Rourke headlines this year’s festival with a concert at the Quarry Amphitheatre on Saturday, March 28. Tickets are $75.
A multi-talented musician, Declan plays harmonica, acoustic guitar, mandolin, ukulele and piano. His songs have been interpreted and recorded by fellow artists including Josh Groban, Christy Moore, Peter Joback, Eddi Reader and Jacqui Dankworth.
Irish poet Tony Curtis will be a special guest of the festival. Tony has been described as “A master craftsman conjuring striking images out of the ordinariness of words”. You can spend ‘An Afternoon With Irish Poet Tony Curtis’ on Wednesday, March 25.
Jim Ryan is the great grandson of George Anthony, the Catalpa’s captain. Jim is a special guest at several festival events. He tells the story of how a simple exploration of an attic when he was ten years old uncovered his family’s activist roots and the places they hold in history. Jim will be a special guest at two opening night events; will speak at the ‘History Symposium’ and ‘Oral History in the Pub’; and will join Michael Barker (Fremantle Shipping News) for a live podcast recording at the WA Maritime Museum from 4pm-5pm on Sunday, March 29.
The festival begins with the launch of ‘Catalpa Escape to Freedom’, a book by Mike and Joy Lefroy, published by Fremantle Press. The launch will be at 6pm on Monday, March 23 at Fremantle Prison.
The book launch will be followed by ‘Catalpa: Flight to Freedom’ at Fremantle Prison at 7pm on Monday, March 23. This immersive cineplay is presented by Theatre 180 and the WA Museum.
On Friday, March 27 the Fremantle Buffalo Club - in collaboration with Fenians, Fremantle & Freedom and Limina: A Journal of Historical and Cultural Studies and sponsored by the University of Notre Dame - will host the festival’s ‘History Symposium’, a series of speakers and panel discussions with authors, academics and enthusiasts between 11am and 3.30pm. Featuring keynote speaker Professor Jane Lydon, special guest Jim Ryan (great-grandson of Captain Anthony), and a panel discussion including the contributors of Limina’s upcoming special edition of the Catalpa Escape: A Transnational History of the Southwest of Australia.
At 5pm there will be a Trad Music Session with Fiona Doyle and Friends in the club’s Ladies’ Lounge, with more music upstairs from Tommy O’Brien and The Ocean Waifs from 7.30pm.
On Saturday, March 28, ‘Oral History in the Pub’ will be presented at the National Hotel and the Fremantle Courthouse Hotel. Shared stories and pubs have gone hand in hand for centuries, a tradition continued in this special event. ‘Oral History in the Pub’ will be held in two sessions, the first upstairs at the National Hotel Fremantle from 10.30am to noon on Saturday, March 28. This session, ‘The Catalpa Escape and the Fenians - the Australian Perspective’, will feature human rights lawyer Bernie Brophy, a descendent of Hougoumont Fenian Hugh Francis Brophy; Fremantle Fenians co-founder and chairperson Margo O’Byrne, a facilitator,
writer and broadcaster; and Mike Lefroy - educator, writer and historian - a descendent of former prison governor Henry Maxwell Lefroy and great grandson of CY O’Connor. Dr Helena Grehan will be the facilitator for the first session.
Session Two will be held at the Fremantle Courthouse Hotel, from 1pm to 2.30pm on Saturday, March 28 and explore ‘The Catalpa Escape - the American Perspective’. Speakers will be Jim Ryan, great grandson of Catalpa Captain George Anthony, an educator from New Bedford, USA; Bunbury tour guide, writer and historian Peter Murphy, whose books include Fremantle to Freedom about the Fenian escapees after the Catalpa escape; and Dublin lawyer and playwright Frank MacGabhann, whose aunts cared for Catalpa escape mastermind John Devoy towards the end of his life and who is an advocate in Ireland for recognition of the Fremantle Fenians. The facilitator for this session is to be announced.
On Sunday, March 29 the WA Maritime Museum will host a Family Day, with Catalpa Tours; Model Boat Building Workshops; Irish Dance and Song lessons with Torc Ceili; children’s story time; face painting; craft activities; a Shamrock Trail and the screening of the film ‘Song of the Sea’.
After the Family Day, from 5pm you can head along to the Fenians Festival 2026 Weekend Wind-up Party at Clancy’s with The Deadly Woodbines and some special guests. Entry is free.
A great appetite whetter for the festival is the Catalpa Escape Podcast Series under the banner of FSN - Freo Life by Michael Barker and Margo O’Byrne.
