This pivotal period in the history of Ireland has had an enormous impact on the development of our nation and our national identity, and it is fitting that we seek to commemorate the people and events in a thoughtful, respectful and consultative manner.
As part of County Carlow’s programme of events to mark, remember and commemorate 1916, County Carlow, like most other counties, has many un-documented histories and stories surrounding the 1916 Rising. In particular there are key County Carlow figures that were directly involved in the 1916 Rising. It is important that these local figures are respected and remembered. They include:
Michael O’Hanrahan/Micheál Ó hAnnrachain from Tullow Street in Carlow Town. Born in 1877 in New Ross, Co. Wexford. His family moved to Carlow Town where Michael was educated at Carlow Christian Brothers’ School and Carlow College Academy. In 1899 he founded Carlow’s first branch of Conradh na Gaeilge (Gaelic League) and became its secretary. During the Easter Rising he was second in command of Dublin’s 2nd Battalion under Commandant Thomas MacDonagh at the Jacob’s Biscuit Factory. For his role before and during the Rising O’Hanrahan was executed by firing squad on May 4,1916 at Kilmainham Gaol. He is buried in Arbour Hill along with the other fourteen leaders who were executed at Kilmainham.
Nurse Margaret Kehoe from Orchard, Leighlinbridge in County Carlow is said to be the first person fatally wounded on Easter Monday 1916. During Easter Week the Irish Volunteers occupied the South Dublin Union and fighting took place there on Easter Monday. As Nurse Kehoe was treating an injured volunteer she was hit by gunfire and died on the grounds of the hospital. She is buried in the graveyard attached to St. Fintan’s Church, Ballinabranna, Co. Carlow.
Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap. from Regent Street in Bagenalstown, County Carlow. Born Thomas Bibby on October 24,1877. He entered the Capuchin Novitiate in 1894 and was ordained in 1902, taking the religious name of Albert. In the aftermath of the Easter Rising Fr. Albert Bibby ministered to a number of rebel prisoners in Kilmainham Gaol. He is buried in the Capuchin cemetery in Rochestown, Co. Cork.
Thomas Traynor from the Cannon’s Quarter in Tullow, County Carlow, moved to Dublin along with his family following his father’s death. During the 1916 Rising, as a member of the 3rd Battalion, he served in Boland’s Mills under the command of Eamonn de Valera. For his role in the Rising, Thomas was interned in Frongoch, Wales. During the War of Independence he served in Military Intelligence. Following a gun battle on Great Brunswick Street (now Pearse Street) he was arrested and tried. He was hanged in Mountjoy Gaol on the morning of April 25, 1921. He was 39 years old, married, with ten children. Following a state funeral in 2001 he was reinterred in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin along with nine other executed War of Independence prisoners.
As a result of the national focus on 1916 many communities have begun to research potential connections in their area and new information and identified individuals have been emerging. One such individual to come to attention is Bredge Connolly from Friarstown, County Carlow, who would appear to be the only Carlow native present in the GPO on O’Connell Street during the Rising.
The commemoration of the 1916 Rising in County Carlow is led by the ‘Carlow Ireland 2016 Committee’ chaired by Cllr. Fintan Phelan which was established by Carlow County Council in January 2015. In the process of drafting the 2016 Programme, the Committee, during February and March 2015, sought submissions from the public with suitable ideas and suggestions under any or all of the following headings:
Remembering (the event);
Reflecting (on the last 100 years);
Re - imagining (looking to the future).
In June, based on this, the Committee hosted a public information session for the county in the Lord Bagenal Hotel, Leighlinbridge, Co. Carlow. The Committee outlined its findings, drafted projects to be undertaken through Carlow County Council and its institutions: Carlow Arts Office; Carlow County Museum; and Carlow Library Service. That night the Committee launched the Carlow 2016 Grants Scheme for Community Led Projects. This scheme serves to assist groups, organisations and individuals around the county to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising in their area. A total of €25,000 has been made available under this scheme. These community participation events allow for real citizen engagement with Ireland 2016.
As a result of the various consultations, initiatives and project planning, Carlow will host over fifty commemoration events to mark the centenary of the 1916 Rising.
D’imir an tréimhse ríthábhachtach seo i stair na hÉireann olltionchar ar fhorbairt ár náisiúin agus ár bhféiniúlachta náisiúnta, agus is ceart go bhfuilimid ag tabhairt faoi na daoine agus na himeachtaí a chomóradh ar bhealach atá machnamhach sainchomhairleachta agus a léiríonn meas.
Mar chuid de chlár imeachtaí Chontae Cheatharlach chun 1916 a thabhairt chun cuimhne agus a chomóradh, tá go leor staire agus scéalta as Contae Cheatharlach faoi Éirí Amach 1916, ar nós go leor contaetha eile, nach ndearnadh taifead díobh riamh. Bhí triúr, ach go háirithe, ó Chontae Cheatharlach a raibh baint dhíreach acu le hÉirí Amach 1916. Tá sé tábhachtach go léirítear meas ar na daoine áitiúla seo
agus go gcuimhnítear iad.
I measc na ndaoine siúd, tá: Mícheál Ó hAnnracháin, ó Shráid na Tulaí i mBaile Cheatharlach, a rugadh in 1877 i Ros Mhic Thriúin i gCont ae Loch Garman. Bhog a mhuintir go baile Cheatharlach, áit ar cuireadh oideachas air i Scoil na mBráithre Críost aí i gCeatharlach agus i gColáiste Acadaimh Cheatharlach. In 1899, bhunaigh sé an chéad bhrainse i gCeatharlach de Chonradh na Gaeilge agus bhí sé ina rúnaí air. I rith Éirí Amach na Cásca, ba é an leascheannasaí é ar an Dara Cathlán de chuid Bhaile Átha Cliath faoi Ceannfoirt Thomáis Mhic Dhonnchadha ag Monarcha Bhrioscaí Jacob’s. Mar gheall ar an ról a bhí aige le linn an Éirí Amach agus roimhe sin, cuireadh Ó hAnnracháin chun báis trí scuad lámhaigh an 4 Bealtaine 1916 ag Príosún Chill Mhaighneann. Tá sé curtha i gCnoc an Arbhair mar aon le ceathrar ceannasaithe déag eile a cuireadh chun báis ann.
Deirtear gurbh í an tAltra Margaret Kehoe ón Abhallort, Leithghlinn an Droichid i gContae Cheatharlach an chéad duine a gortaíodh go marfach Luan Cásca 1916. I rith Sheachtain na Cásca, d’áitigh Óglaigh na hÉireann Aontas Bhaile Átha Cliath Theas agus thit troid amach ansin Luan Cásca.
Fad a bhí cóir leighis á cur ag an Altra Kehoe ar óglach a gortaíodh, bhuail gunnalámhach í agus fuair sí bás ar thailte an ospidéil. Tá sí curtha sa reilig atá ceangailte le Séipéal Naomh Fionntán, Baile na mBreathnach, Contae Cheatharlach.
Rugadh an tAthair Albert Bibby OFM Cap, ó Shráid Regent i Muine Bheag, i gContae Cheatharlach agus é ainmnithe mar Thomas Bibby an 24 Deireadh Fómhair in 1877. Chuaigh sé isteach sa Novitiate Caipisíneach in 1894 agus rinneadh é a oirniú i 1902, agus ghlac sé leis an ainm reiligiúnach Albert. I ndiaidh Éirí Amach na Cásca, thug an tAthair Albert Bibby. aire do roinnt príosúnach reibiliúnach i bPríosún Chill Mhaighneann. Tá sé curtha sa reilig Chaipisíneach i mBaile an Róistigh i gContae Chorcaí.
Bhog Thomas Traynor ó Cheathrú an Chanóna sa Tulach, Contae Cheatharlach, mar aon lena theaghlach, chuig Baile Átha Cliath i ndiaidh dá athair bás a fháil. I rith Éirí Amach 1916, mar chomhalt a den 3ú Cathlán, d’fhóin sé i Muilte Uí Bheolláin faoi cheannas Éamonn de Valera. Mar gheall ar an ról a bhí aige san Éirí Amach, rinneadh é a imtheorannú in Frongoch na Breataine Bige. I rith Chogadh na Saoirse, d’fhóin sé i bhFaisnéis Mhíleata. I ndiaidh cath gunnaí ar Shráid Brunswick Mór (Sráid an Phiarsaigh inniu), gabhadh é agus cuireadh chun trialach é. Crochadh é i bPríosún Mhuinseo ar maidin an 25 Aibreán 1921. Bhí sé 39 mbliana d’aois agus bhí sé pósta agus deichniúr leanaí aige. I ndiaidh sochraid stáit in 2001, rinneadh
é a athchur i reilig Ghlas Naíon, Baile Átha Cliath, mar aon le naonúr príosúnach eile de chuid Chogadh na Saoirse a cuireadh chun báis.
Mar thoradh ar an díriú náisiúnta ar 1916, tá go leor pobal tar éis tús a chur le taighde ar naisc fhéideartha ina gceantar agus tá faisnéis nua agus daoine aonair sainaitheanta ag teacht chun solais. Duine díobh siúd a tháinig chun solais is ea Bredge Connolly ó Fhearann na gCanánach. Meastar gurb í an t-aon duine de mhuintir Cheatharlach a bhí i láthair in Ard-Oifig an Phoist ar Shráid Uí Chonaill i rith an Éirí Amach.
Tá an cuimhneachán ar Éirí Amach 1916 i gCont ae Cheatharlach faoi stiúir ‘Choiste Éire 2016 Cheatharlach’. Tá an Comhairleoir Fintan Phelan ina chathaoirleach ar an gcoiste, a bhunaigh Comhairle Contae Cheatharlach é in Eanáir 2015. Fad a bhí Clár 2016 á dhréachtú, lorg an Coiste, i rith mhí Feabhra agus an Mhárta 2015, aighneachtaí ón bpobal a raibh smaointe agus moltaí oiriúnacha acu faoi aon cheann de na teidil a leanas nó faoi gach ceann díobh (a) Cuimhneamh (ar an eachtra), (b) Athmhachnamh (ar an 100 bliain anuas) (c) Athshamhlú (ag féachaint amach romhainn). I Meitheamh, bunaithe air seo, d’óstáil an Coiste seisiún faisnéise poiblí don chontae in Óstán Lord Bagenal, Leithghlinn an Droichid, Contae Cheatharlach. Thug an Coiste cuntas ar a thátail tosaigh agus ar dhréacht-tionscadail faoina dtabharfaidh sé trí Chomhairle Contae Cheatharlach agus a hinstitiúidí – Oifig Ealaíon Cheatharlach Músaem Chontae Cheatharlach agus Seirbhís Leabharlainne Cheatharlach. Sheol an Coiste, an oíche sin, Scéim Deontas Cheatharlach 2016 do Thionscadail atá faoi Stiúir an Phobail. Tá an scéim in ainm is cabhrú le grúpaí, eagraíochtaí agus daoine aonair ar fud an chontae chun uimhneachán céad bliain Éirí Amach 1916 a chomóradh ina gceantar. Cuireadh €25,000 ar an iomlán ar fáil faoin scéim seo. Éascaíonn na himeacht aí annpháirtíochta pobail seo fíor-idirchaidreamh idir shaoránaigh agus Éire 2016.
Mar thoradh ar na comhairliúcháin, na tionscnaimh agus an phleanáil tionscadail, déanfar os cionn caoga imeacht cuimhneacháin a óstáil i gCeatharlach chun cuimhneachán céad bliain Éirí Amach 1916 a chomóradh.