Civilian casualties accounted for a great number of deaths in 1916. Among those who died were at least three with Westmeath connections. These included: Laurence Mulligan, a 19 year old man who died as a result of injuries received in Dublin, and father and son Thomas and Christy Hickey who were killed in the North King Street massacre. Thomas, a butcher, was a native of Mullingar and his son Christy was only 15 years old.
Before Easter 1916 the Volunteers in South Westmeath were aware that something was afoot but the exact nature of the operation was a closely kept secret. They had instructions to mobilize on Easter Sunday and to detail parties for demolition work. A group of about fifty Volunteers gathered and, acting on instructions, they left for Shannonbridge on foot. A small party was left behind in Athlone to cut the telegraph wires outside the town and to disrupt the rail links to Dublin if and when instructed to do so. According to local tradition rifles and shotguns had already been dispatched to Shannonbridge by pony and cart.
At Shannonbridge the main body was to be met by Liam Mellowes (or his representative) who would issue further instructions. At 2pm on Easter Sunday a female dispatch rider arrived from Dublin with a message that the Rising was off. The party was ordered to disperse but to hold itself in readiness for recall.
Meedin was the scene of a siege during Easter 1916. A band of local volunteers from the Tyrellspass area set out for Donore where they were to meet up with volunteers from Tullamore, Drumraney and Athlone. Their instructions were to break the rail link with the west and to link up with Liam Mellows’ forces at Shannonbridge or Ballinasloe. When they reached Donore they were told the Rising was postponed. When returning to Meedin they commandeered a car outside Kilbeggan in order to convey their arms through the town.
On Easter Monday they assembled again at Meedin and when they learned the Rising had taken place they decided to make a stand. They went to Ballycastle and attempted to blow up the railway line but had to make do with removing a section of the tracks. They returned to Malone’s house in Meedin but when the police tried to raid the house, shots were fired. During the week they continued to resist police attempts to arrest them but when news reached Meedin of the surrender they disbanded.
An important connection between Westmeath and the Rising is that the guns used to shell Liberty Hall in Dublin were said to have been rushed to Dublin by rail from Victoria Barracks in Athlone. Also, Fr. Paul Walsh, a Westmeath born scholar, was sent by Eoin MacNeill, Chief of Staff of the Volunteers, to issue the order countermanding planned Easter Sunday manoeuvres in the Midlands and West, thus frustrating plans for the Rising outside Dublin.
Apart from the involvement of Westmeath men and women directly in the Rising and the events which occurred locally, the Easter Rising had far reaching consequences for the people of Westmeath as it did for the whole of the country.
Laurence Ginnell
A key figure in politics in Westmeath during this period was Laurence Ginnell, a distinguished Barrister who was a member of the Irish and English Bars and MP for North Westmeath from 1906-1917. He was outspoken on the subject of the 1916 rebels and the actions taken against them. Although he had belonged to Redmond’s Parnellite Party he became disillusioned and by 1917 he had joined forces with Sinn Fein. He went on to become a TD in the first Dáil. He visited Argentina in 1920 as a representative of Dáil Éireann but returned home to oppose partition. After the Treaty he was elected to the Free State parliament.
Westmeath Women of 1916
The role of women in this period is often overlooked and apart from the Elliott sisters, already mentioned, we intend to celebrate the life of Ada English (1875-1944) who, though born in Kerry, was raised in Mullingar, Co Westmeath. Ada English was one of the first female students at the school of medicine at Cecilia Street in Dublin. While a student she became interested in the Gaelic League and attended Irish classes given by her friend PH Pearse. In the years preceding the Rising she became politically active. She was a founder member of Sinn Fein in Ballinasloe in 1910. She served as a medical officer to the Irish Volunteers before joining Cumann na mBan. In 1921 she was returned to the Dáil as a Sinn Féin representative opposed to the Treaty.
Preparation of Commemorative Programme
As part of the Ireland 2016 national initiative to develop, coordinate and deliver a programme for the 2016 centenary year, a Steering Group was established by Westmeath County Council to develop a local commemoration programme for the county.
The Steering Group arranged an initial public consultation process. The purpose of this consultation process was to allow local individuals and community groups, including the Public Participation Network, an opportunity to bring forward ideas. The consultation process included public meetings in Mullingar and Athlone in April 2015. A 2016 commemorative grant support scheme was also advertised in July 2015. This grant support scheme will assist local groups who wish to play their part in contributing to the local commemorative programme. Submissions in respect of proposed projects and events has enabled an initial draft local commemorative programme for County Westmeath to be prepared. Local communities will be a vital link in the planning and delivery of our programme for commemoration at county level.
Our Westmeath programme will commemorate both the local and national events and especially the lives of the Westmeath men and women who saw active service in the Rising, through civic functions, cultural performances, historical reflections (exhibitions, seminars and lectures), the erection of plaques (and/or storyboards), and an education programme. This Centenary Programme is built on the Seven Programme Strands of the national Centenary Programme which taken together reflect the themes of Remembering, Reconciling, Presenting, Imagining and Celebrating.
Fuair cuid mhór sibhialtach bás le linn 1916. Ina measc siúd a fuair bás bhí ar a laghad triúr a raibh baint acu leis an Iarmhí. Ina measc bhí: Laurence Mulligan, fear óg 19 mbliana a cailleadh mar gheall ar ghortuithe a fuair sé i mBaile Átha Cliath, agus Thomas agus Christy Hickey, athair agus mac a maraíodh i sléacht Shráid an Rí Thuaidh. B’as an Mhuileann gCearr ó dhúchas Thomas agus ní raibh a mhac Christy ach 15 bliana d’aois.
Roimh Cháisc 1916, b’eol do na hÓglaigh san Iarmhí Theas go raibh rud éigin ar siúl ach bhí na mionsonraí faoi chuing dhocht rúin. Dúradh leo teacht le chéile Domhnach Cásca agus páirtithe a cheapadh le haghaidh obair scartála. Bhailigh buíon de thart ar chaoga Óglach agus, de réir na n-orduithe a tugadh dóibh, thriall siad ar Dhroichead na Sionainne de shiúl na gcos. Fágadh buíon bheag i mBaile Átha Luain le sreangáin teileagraif a ghearradh taobh amuigh den bhaile agus le cur isteach ar naisc iarnróid go Baile Átha Cliath má ordaíodh dóibh. De réir sheanchas an cheantair, cuireadh raidhfilí agus gránghunnaí ar aghaidh go Droichead na Sionainne ar chairt agus capall.
Ag Droichead na Sionainne bhí an phríomhbhuíon le bualadh le Liam Ó Maoilíosa (nó a ionadaí), a bhí le tuilleadh orduithe a thabhairt dóibh. Ar 2pm Domhnach Cásca, tháinig teachtaire mná as Baile Átha Cliath leis an teachtaireacht go raibh an tÉirí Amach curtha ar ceal. Dúradh leis an bhuíon scaipeadh ach bheith réidh le haghaidh aisghairme.
Tharla léigear i Mídín le linn Cháisc 1916. Bhí buíon d’óglaigh áitiúla as ceantar Phas an Tirialaigh ag triall ar Dhún Uabhair áit ar bhuail siad le hóglaigh as an Tulach Mhór, Droim Raithne agus Baile Átha Luain. Ordaíodh dóibh an nasc iarnróid leis an iarthar a bhriseadh agus bualadh le fórsaí Liam Uí Mhaoilíosa ag Droichead na Sionainne nó i mBéal Átha na Sluaighe. Nuair a shroich siad Dún Uabhair dúradh leo go raibh an tÉirí Amach ar ceal. Ar fhilleadh ar Mhídín dóibh, ghabh siad seilbh ar charr taobh amuigh de Chill Bheagáin lena gcuid arm a thabhairt tríd an bhaile mhór.
Ar Luan Cásca, bhailigh siad arís i Mídín agus nuair a fuair siad amach gur tharla an tÉirí Amach, shocraigh siad ar bheart a dhéanamh. Chuaigh siad go Baile an Chaisil agus rinne iarracht an t-iarnród a phléascadh ach ní dhearna siad ach cuid de na ráillí a bhaint. D’fhill siad ar theach Uí Mhaoil Eoin i Mídín ach nuair a rinne na póilíní ruathar ar an teach, scaoileadh urchair. I rith na seachtaine, chuir siad in aghaidh iarrachtaí na bpóilíní iad a ghabháil ach nuair a tháinig scéal an ghéillte go Mídín scoir siad.
Ceangal tábhachtach idir an Iarmhí agus an tÉirí Amach go ndeirtear gur tugadh na gunnaí a úsáideadh le Halla na Saoirse a ionsaí d’iarnród ó Bheairic Victoria i mBaile Átha Luain go Baile Átha Cliath faoi dheifir. Lena chois sin, chuir Eoin Mac Néill, Ceann Foirne na nÓglach, an tAth. Paul Walsh, scoláire as an Iarmhí, leis an fhreasordú faoi na hinlíochtaí a bhí beartaithe Domhnach na Cásca i Lár Tíre agus san Iarthar, rud a chuir as go mór do phleananna don Éirí Amach taobh amuigh de Bhaile Átha Cliath.
Taobh amuigh de rannpháirtíocht dhíreach fhir agus mhná na hIarmhí san Éirí Amach agus na heachtraí a thit amach go háitiúil, bhí tionchair mhóra shuntasacha ag Éirí Amach na Cásca ar mhuintir na hIarmhí, díreach mar a bhí ar iomlán na tíre.
Laurence Ginnell
Croíphearsa ab é Laurence Ginnell, abhcóide ardchlú, sa pholaitíocht san Iarmhí le linn na tréimhse seo. Abhcóide de chuid bharra Éireann agus Shasana a bhí ann agus ina FP san Iarmhí Thuaidh ó 1906-1917. Labhair sé go neamhbhalbh ar eachtraí reibiliúnaigh 1916 agus ar na bearta a rinneadh ina gcoinne. D’ainneoin go raibh sé ina bhall de pháirtí Parnellach Mhic Réamainn, bhí díomá air leo agus chuaigh sé le Sinn Féin. Rinneadh TD de sa chéad Dáil. Thug sé cuairt ar an Airgintín in 1920 mar ionadaí Dháil Éireann ach d’fhill sé ar Éirinn le cur in aghaidh na críochdheighilte. I ndiaidh an Chonartha, toghadh é ina bhall de Pharlaimint an tSaor-Stáit.
Mná de chuid na hIarmhí i 1916
Is minic a thugtar neamhaird ar ról na mban sa tréimhse seo agus, taobh amuigh de na deirfiúracha Elliott a luadh cheana, tá sé beartaithe againn saol Ada English, a rugadh i gCiarraí ach a tógadh ar an Mhuileann gCearr, Co na Iarmhí (1875-1944), a cheiliúradh. Bhí Ada English ar na chéad mhic léinn mná i scoil an leighis Sráid Cecilia i mBaile Átha Cliath. Chuir sí suim i gConradh na Gaeilge agus í ina mac léinn agus d’fhreastail sí ar ranganna Gaeilge ag cara léi, Pádraig Mac Piarais. Sna blianta roimh an Éirí Amach bhí sí gníomhach i gcúrsaí polaitíochta. Bhí sí ar na baill a bhunaigh Sínn Féin i mBéal Átha na Sluaighe in 1910. Thug sí seirbhís mar oifigeach míochaine d’Óglaigh na hÉireann roimh dhul isteach i gCumann na mBan. In 1921 toghadh sa Dáil í mar ionadaí de chuid Shinn Féin a bhí i gcoinne an Chonartha.
Ullmhú an Chláir Áitiúil Chomórtha
Mar chuid de thionscnamh náisiúnta Éire 2016 clár a fhorbairt, a chomhordú agus a sholáthar do bhliain chomóraidh an chéid 2016, bhunaigh Comhairle Contae na hIarmhí Grúpa Stiúrtha d’fhonn clár áitiúil comórtha a fhorbairt don chontae. Réitigh an Grúpa Stiúrtha próiseas tosaigh comhairliúchán poiblí. Ba é cuspóir an phróisis comhairliúcháin seo deis a thabhairt do dhaoine aonair agus grúpaí áitiúla pobail, an Gréasán Rannpháirtíocht Pobail san áireamh, smaointe a chur chun tosaigh. Bhí cruinnithe poiblí ar an Mhuileann gCearr agus i mBaile Átha Luain in Aibreán 2015 mar chuid den phróiseas comhairliúcháin. Fógraíodh freisin in Iúil 2015 scéim cúnaimh deontais an chomórtha. Cabhróidh an scéim cúnaimh deontais seo le grúpaí áitiúla ar mian leo a gcion féin a dhéanamh sa chlár áitiúil comórtha. Mar gheall ar aighneachtaí i leith tionscadal agus imeachtaí atáthar a bheartú, bhíothas in ann dréacht-chlár tosaigh comórtha a réiteach do Chontae na hIarmhí. Is nasc ríthábhachtach iad pobail áitiúla i bpleanáil agus soláthar ár gclár comórtha ag leibhéal an chontae.
Déanfaidh clár na hIarmhí imeachtaí, idir áitiúil agus náisiúnta, a chomóradh agus go háirithe beatha fhir agus mhná na hIarmhí a bhí gníomhach san Éirí Amach, trí ócáidí cathartha, léiriúcháin chultúrtha, ócáidí machnaimh stairiúil (taispeántais, seimineáir agus léachtaí), tógáil plaiceanna (agus/nó cláir scéil) agus clár oideachais. Tá Clár Chomóradh an Chéid tógtha ar na Seacht Snáithe Cláir den Chlár Náisiúnta Comórtha Céad Bliain ina léirítear, i gcuideachta a chéile, Cuimhneamh, Réiteach, Cur i láthair, Samhlú agus Ceiliúradh.