A LOCAL historian is set to play a leading role in commemorating the 200th anniversary of the 1820 Radical War which led to a massacre in Greenock.

Shaun Kavanagh successfully campaigned for a massacre memorial to be placed at Bank Street in memory of the victims killed locally - and is now participating in events to commemorate the poignant event.

Shaun's interest in the Radical War started while completing his university dissertation.

He did not realise there was a local link until starting his research.

The Clydeview Academy teacher said: "I have always been interested in Scottish history and sort of stumbled upon the Greenock link by accident.

"I've kept in touch with lecturers at the University of Glasgow so I am looking forward to the upcoming events."

Shaun, who lives in Gourock with wife Julie, is giving a talk in the Scottish Parliament on the importance of Greenock in the history of the uprising along with other historians from Glasgow and Edinburgh universities.

He is also delivering a lecture at the Glasgow Uni at their full day programme to commemorate the Radical War on April 3.

Shaun plans to talk about the history of Greenock from the French Revolution to the events of 1820 and highlight how the local loss of life became the bloodiest event of the Radial War.

As well as the above, the 31-year-old is contributing a chapter about Greenock's role in the rising to a book on the history of the Radical War entitled 'The Scottish Rebellion: Insurrection 1820'.

Also known as the 'Scottish Insurrection', the deaths locally happened when soldiers opened fired on a crowd who had tried to free anti-government protesters being escorted to Greenock jail.

The memorial in Greenock commemorates the eight people who lost their lives on April 8 - the youngest being an eight-year-old boy and the eldest a man aged 65.

As well as the nationa events, plans are taking shape to commemorate the event locally.