Fenians Festival 2026 's Margo O’Byrne, 15 March 2026

Margo O’Byrne Fenians Festival 2026  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 a convict work detail in Fremantle and making their way to a rendezvous with the Catalpa, an American whaling ship, near Rockingham. The Catalpa had sailed from America on a secret mission to rescue the men; so secret Captain George Anthony couldn’t even let his crew know the ship’s true goal. ‘Fenians Festival 2026’ offers a week of events including Irish music and poetry; international guests; a performance by Theatre 180; history talks, panel discussions and a Family Day.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.