Ballykissane Monument pays tribute to the three men that are widely recognised as being the first casualties of the 1916 Easter Rising. It is surprising to most people that these casualties occurred not in Dublin, but rather at a pier just outside of Killorglin Town in South Kerry.

The three men who drowned were en route to Cahersiveen to make use of the radio station in order to set up radio communications with Sir Roger Casement and the German arms ship the Aud. The plan seemed straightforward but regrettably, the course of history was altered due to a simple wrong turn. The driver of the car got lost, asked for directions, but took a wrong turn. The car plunged into the water off the pier and only one of the four men in the car survived. The call was never made to Casement, the Aud did not offload its cargo in Kerry but was ultimately captured by British forces, whereupon its crew scuttled the ship just outside Cork Harbour.

Each year on the anniversary of the Easter Rising, floral tributes are laid here to honour these men whose lives were sacrificed for the greater cause.