History & Heritage

The National 1798 Rebellion Centre in Enniscorthy was closed to the public over the Christmas period due to hosting the fantastic Santa's Enchanted Christmas. It is expected to reopen seven days a week before the end of this January. For updates, visit https://www.facebook.com/1798centre

EHRS remembers Liam Mellows

Right: Enniscorthy Historical Re-enactment Society (EHRS) let off a volley of shots at the graveside of Liam Mellows at Castletown Cemetery on Sunday 11th December 2022.

Below left: EHRS members with former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Minister James Browne TD, Chairman of organising committee Lorcan Allen, Cllrs Barbara-Anne Murphy and Andrew Bolger, at the graveside of Liam Mellows.

Below right: Enniscorthy Historical Re-enactment Society on the march at Castletown.

100th anniversary of the death of Liam Mellows. At Castletown Cemetery on 11th December were former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Minister James Browne TD, local Councillors and members of the Fianna Fáil party.

Fianna Fáil remembers Liam Mellows

L-R: Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern with Senator Malcolm Byrne. Seamus Rafter and Lorcan Allen. Mark Redmond playing the uilleann pipes at the graveside. Minister James Browne TD. Below L-R: Bertie Ahern with Pat and Elaine Sweeney, with former TD Seamus Cullimore, and addressing the audience.

Below L-R: Margaret O’Connor, Bill Underwood, Hugh O’Connor and Minister James Browne TD. Lorcan Allen addresses the audience. Bertie Ahern lays a wreath at the grave of Liam Mellows.

Remembering Liam Mellows 100 Years On

On Sunday 11th December 2022, Enniscorthy Historical Re-enactment Society was delighted to be part of the 100th Anniversary Commemoration of the death of Liam Mellows at Castletown Cemetery where he is interred.

The execution of Liam Mellows, Rory O’Connor, Joe McKelvey and Dick Barrett, by firing squad on 8th December 1922, by Free State Forces, in reprisal for the shooting of Pro Treaty TD Sean Hayes, was one of the terrible tragedies of Ireland’s Civil War.

In his address, guest speaker, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, quoted Countess Markiewicz, who in 1923, a year after the executions, said, ‘He was one of Ireland’s most loyal and honoured commandants, a great soldier, as brave as could be found, and a man worthy of the people’s gratitude.’ In a very balanced and inspirational speech, Mr. Ahern alluded to the Good Friday Agreement and his friendship with, and fondness for, the late Ian Paisley, finishing with, ‘As we look to the future and the second century of our independent statehood, we honour all those who fought and died for their vision of a free Ireland that they wished to shape. But we should also hold firm to the conviction that in our mature, democratic society, we have now arrived at a point in our history, where no-one needs on this Island to fight and die to protect their national identity, their liberties or freedoms.’

‘Peace’, Mr. Ahern continued, ‘is precious, it has been my life’s work, and my fervent hope for the next generation of politicians on this island is that we consign for ever to the dustbin of history polarised politics, so that debate will focus on social, economic and climate issues and securing better, more prosperous, and sustainable future for all our children and grandchildren.’ The large crowd at Castletown Cemetery applauded Mr. Ahern as he laid a wreath on the grave followed by a volley of shots from the Enniscorthy reenactors. Full credit to the Liam Mellows Committee who organise this annual event every year and to chief organiser Lorcan Allen who told the large gathering that he had been attending for the past 70 years having been brought as a child of 10 by his late father. The all-inclusive and tolerant Liam Mellows would have been well pleased, me thinks.

Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern lays a wreath at the grave of Liam Mellows.

Above left: Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Senator Malcolm Byrne. Left: Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern with Maria Nolan. Above: Enniscorthy Historical Re-enactment Society members with former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Minister James Browne TD, Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy, and Lorcan Allen, chief organiser of the commemoration.

– Words & Pics by Maria Nolan

Slaney hiStory & heritage Sinn Féin remembers Liam Mellows

Above left: Cllr Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (centre) launched his book ‘Liam Mellows and the Unfinished Revolution’ with Johnny Mythen TD and Dee McCafferty. Above right: Marching to Liam Mellow’s grave at Castletown Cemetery. Below left: Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald among the marchers. Below right: Cllr Tom Forde and some of his Wexford supporters in the parade.

Left: Parade to Liam Mellow’s grave led by St Joseph’s Pipe Band, Co. Down.

Right: The Colour Party. Below left: Finglas Cumann parading. Below centre: Cllr Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin with Lisa McCabe.

Below right: Some of the Wexford contingent.

President of Sinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald TD was in Co. Wexford on 11th December 2022 to deliver the keynote address in Castletown Cemetery for Sinn Féin’s 100th anniversary commemorations of the death of Liam Mellows. Attendees marched from the Golden Anchor to Castletown Cemetery to hear her address and many then gathered in Breens of Gorey for refreshments and to be present for the launch of Cllr Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin’s new book Liam Mellows and the Unfinished Revolution.

In the days leading up to the commemoration, oak trees were planted at schools in Coolgreaney and Castletown to mark the centenary of the execution of Liam Mellows.

Uí Cinsealaigh Historical Society Annual Dinner

Top left: John Furlong and Anne Butler. Above left: Joan O’Brien and Marie Ann Kenny. Above centre: Seán Doyle and Pat Brennan. Above right: Mary Joyce and Maureen Devlin. Left: Catherine Harris and Phil O’Neill. Right: Mary Kavanagh and Sally Deacon. Below left: Bridget and Michael Hayden. Below right: Mary and Pat Kinsella. Bottom left: Pat Kinsella. Bottom centre: Maureen Devlin and Mary Joyce. Bottom right: Pat Brennan and Ken Hemingway.

Above left: Brian Ó Cléirigh and Pat Hackett. Above right: Mary Booth, Ann Browne and Chrissy Ivers.

Left: Breda Kinsella and May Doyle. Above left: Mary and Willie French. Above right: Kathleen Doyle and Kitty O’Reilly.

Uí Cinsealaigh Historical Society Annual Dinner Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy, 14th December 2022.

Above left: Fr Hammell, Kathleen Doyle and Kitty O’Reilly. Left: Brian Ó Cléirigh and Mary. Above: Theresa Moran and Kathleen Mahon. Above right: Aidan O’Leary and Seamus Rafter. Right: Anne Butler, Sally Deacon and Mary Kinsella. Far right: Theresa Moran.

Unputdownable ‘Taghmon Throug book inspires Bishop Na

The ultimate test of a book is that having opened it, can you put it down. Browsers who bought an advance copy of Taghmon Through the Years couldn’t put it down, even while Bishop of Ferns Ger Nash was speaking, launching it at a crowded Taghmon-Camross GAA Centre in the week before Christmas.

They may have kept ears open for what he was saying but they kept both eyes fixed on its enthralling pages as they sat in their seats, flicking energetically through its 366 photographs and entering into millions of memories of the past 100 years. Browsing through it as he spoke, inspired by a photograph of a group from Dungeer in the 1950s at a cock of hay having tea, Bishop Nash himself was reminded of his own growing up on a small farm in East Clare. “This book is a gift to generations to come,” he said. He urged people to put names and dates on the backs of old photographs. The book is a 200-page compilation of 366 black and white photographs from 22 years of the popular annual Taghmon Calendars. The photographs are representative of 73 townlands. The distinctive front cover featuring the village of Taghmon 100 years ago, was created by David Mahon of the Ryan family of Mulmintra. It was the idea of Tom Wickham of Barntown. He suggested that the photographs from past Taghmon annual calendars be put together in one book. Michael Doyle, the broadcaster with South East Radio and chairman of the Taghmon History Society and fellow members got to work. There are four sections under the headlines of Taghmon, Camross/Caroreigh, Trinity and Barntown. Each has people, places and events that encompass the social, cultural, religious and economic life of this mid-Wexford rural and farming community with the village of Taghmon at its centre. People from organisations including ICA, GAA, Macra na Feirme, Munitir na Tíre, and NFA are featured.

There are the Ardinagh Mummers of 1934, the Taghmon Pike Group of 1998, Taghmon Scouts of 1978, Community Games

Bishop Ger Nash, Tom Wickham, Barntown, and Michael Doyle, Camross, Chairman Taghmon History Society, at launch of the book ‘Taghmon Through the Years’ in Taghmon-Camross GAA Centre. Tom Wickham is holding a new Taghmon Calendar for 2023.

Kay Doyle, Secretary, seated and at back Liam Byrne, Robert Nolan, Teresa Wickham and Paul Codd.

in the 1980s, Tidy Towns of 1983, Dramatic Society of 1940s, The Gardaí in the 1930s, Taghmon under 12 Football team of 1983, Trinity Youth Group.

h The Years’ ash

Sports photographs include Taghmon’s world famous handballers, Tennis in Coolaw in 1950s, Taghmon United F.C. in the 1970s, Taghmon Athletic Club, and Taghmon Camross Camogie winners. There are the Trinity Stars of 1915 from the Taghmon-Camross GAA collection. Three of that team – Skipper Codd, Jim Kehoe and Matty Parle played Junior Football for Wexford in Croke Park in Easter 1916. They walked through a flaming Sackville Street (now O’Connell Street) on their way to the match. Iconic photographs of characters include: Tommy King and William Winters with Toby the horse returning from the fair of Taghmon, an elephant from Duffy’s circus, Dungeer Mummers, Nick Sinnott and Martin Kelly having a pint, a family in Taghmon in the early 1900s, Jane Cooper in Tottenham Green, Bridie Cullen and her bull, saving the harvest at Ballinclea, the man from Cloonerane Mike Foley born in 1882, and teachers and guards and shop owners and farmers.

Big events were Mardi Gras, Passion Plays, Tops of the Parish, Confirmation day in Barntown in the 1950s, Confirmation day in Taghmon in the 1980s, iconic names include Bishop Denis Brennan, one-time PP there, Tom Williams, Billie O’Donnell, Paddy Fenelon and Ted Morrissey. This book is a sumptuous feast of memories from a vibrant and very much together rural community. Every home should have a copy and like the volumes on County Wexford by the late Nicky Furlong, it will increase exponentially in value with age. A copy in every Wexford home would be good investment as the children of those in its pages are in all corners of the world.

The Taghmon History committee members who compiled, produced and published Taghmon Through the Years comprises Michael Doyle, chairman, Kay Doyle, secretary, Tom Wickham, joint treasurer, Teresa Wickham, Catherine Seery, joint treasurer, Paul Codd, May Buttimer, Marie O’Rourke, Paddy O’Reilly, president of the Taghmon History Society and Nuala Carroll. n

Maria Nolan with Dominic Price.

From Crown Forces to Free State

On Sunday 18th December I was delighted to be part of a large group of re-enactors who were at Collins Barracks, Dublin, to re-enact the handing over of the Royal Barracks from the Crown Forces to the newly formed Irish Free State in 1922. A momentous occasion in the history of our nation. The Royal Barracks was the very last barracks in the country to be handed over and heralded the exodus of the British military from Irish soil after almost eight hundred years of occupation. On December 17th 1922, General Sir Nevil Macready of the British Army handed over the Royal Barracks to Commander in Chief of the National Army of the Irish Free State General Richard Mulcahy. As British troops marched out the gate for the last time, the barracks was immediately renamed Collins Barracks in honour of Mulcahy`s predecessor the late Michael Collins who had been shot at Beal na mBlath in August of that year. When the handover was complete, the Tricolour was hoisted, and a piper struck up the National Anthem. A simple but poignant ceremony. The Tricolour was then lowered to half mast in honour of Sean Rooney killed in the Lebanon as the piper played a lament and the re-enactors gave the salute. Another simple and emotive gesture.