Nationwide events planned to mark 100 years since death of rebel leader Liam Lynch

The commemorations will mainly take place in and around Anglesborough, Co Limerick, where Lynch was born; Newcastle, Co Tipperary where he was fatally wounded; and Fermoy, Co Cork where he is buried in the Republican Plot at Old Kilcrumper Cemetery.

Sean O’Riordan looks at the events being planned.

Fermoy, Co Cork

Lynch is buried in Fermoy, Co Cork, and has long had a bond with the town and its revolutionary past. It’s said he got involved in the fight for freedom while working in a timber yard there and witnessing members of the famous Kent family being marched over the bridge by British troops after they “took them on” at their farmhouse in nearby Castlelyons, which was one of the few actions against the Crown Forces outside of Dublin during the Easter 1916 Rising.

Lynch has many associations with Fermoy — his second job was at J Barry & Sons timberyard in the town.

The skilled military commander, who went on to lead the Cork No 2 IRA Brigade, came to international attention for a daring capture of British General Cuthbert Lucas in Fermoy on June 26, 1920.

Lynch is buried in the Republican plot in the local Old Kilcrumper Cemetery and every year the Liam Lynch National Commemoration Committee holds a ceremony there to mark his death. 

Keynote speakers over the years have included Albert Reynolds, Bertie Ahern, Brian Cowen, and Micheál Martin.

This year, to mark the centenary of his death, the committee has come up with a big programme of events, which is expected to attract big crowds.

On Easter Sunday, April 9, a commemorative parade will start in Fermoy at 2pm. It will leave the town centre’s Commandant Michael Fitzgerald Monument and proceed to Lynch’s grave at Kilcrumper.

Tomás Mac Cormaic, a spokesman for the organisers, said the parade will honour the 1,800 Irish Volunteers, Cumann na mBan, and Fianna Éireann members who were killed during the struggle for independence.

“We have collected around 950 images of those martyred for Ireland in that period and plan to have the images printed in some form for the day,” Mr Mac Cormaic said.

A large number of pipe bands will take part in the parade, with several travelling from overseas. Local pipe bands — including the Cullen Pipe Band, Newmarket Pipe Band, Liam Lynch Pipe Band, Anglesborough, Thomas Davis Pipe Band, Mallow, Millstreet Pipe Band, and the Ballingeary Pipe Band — will take part.

“Additionally, we are sending invitations to every GAA club in Ireland and abroad to send a representative wearing the GAA jersey of their club, or to forward the GAA jersey to us, to commemorate the estimated 800 volunteers killed during the period who were members of the GAA,” Mr Mac Cormaic said.

It’s estimated that, at that time, approximately 30,000 members of the IRA were also members of the GAA, with 90% of the membership of clubs in Cork being estimated as being members of the Fenians/IRA or Sinn Féin.

The organisers hope to reach out to many of the relatives of the IRA Volunteers who fought under Lynch to participate in the parade, under banners of the various IRA Brigades.

In total, 35,000 volunteers served under Lynch when he was head of the 1st Southern Division, and an estimated 55,000 when he was Chief of Staff.

The parade is non-political, and there will be no political banners allowed.

A number of cultural, historical, and re-enactment groups will also be invited to participate in the parade.

The main oration will be given by Tim Horgan of the National Graves Association, with deputy Co Cork mayor Deirdre O’Brien also speaking.

“Additionally, we plan to publish a commemorative booklet for the event, which will be available in shops from the start of March,” Mr Mac Cormaic said.

“We have also teamed up with O’Neill’s sportswear for the production of a commemorative jersey for General Liam Lynch, which will be available in the next few weeks to purchase.”

As part of the commemorative event, the Liam Lynch National Commemoration Committee will hold a reception for all those attending the parade in the Fermoy Youth Centre from 10am to 7pm on Easter Sunday.

“Included in this will be refreshments tea/coffee/sandwiches, Irish music, an exhibition on the life of General Liam Lynch (compiled by Neil O’Donovan), including memorabilia of the period, and the showing of the new documentary on Liam Lynch by John Foley,” Mr Mac Cormaic added.

Newcastle, Co Tipperary

The Newcastle Liam Lynch Memorial Committee has organised a very comprehensive series of events from April 8-10.

Plans for the weekend include a historical bus tour and a book launch on Easter Saturday. 

On the Sunday there will be a 'follow the footsteps' walking tour and a screening of the recently-released film The Dying Days — The Final Journey of General Liam Lynch.

The main commemoration event taking place on Easter Monday includes a wreath-laying ceremony at the Liam Lynch monument at 9am to coincide with the time of his fatal wounding 100 years ago to the day.

The committee will then return to Newcastle for the annual commemoration Mass in memory of General Lynch.

The Mass will be preceded by the raising of the tricolor and a parade through the village to the Church of the Assumption led by the Liam Lynch Pipe Band.

Following the Mass, a plaque will be unveiled at Nugent’s Pub in recognition of the events there on April 10, 1923 , when a mortally-wounded Lynch was brought there by the Free State forces who shot him.

This will be followed by the annual commemoration event at the local community hall where this year’s oration will be delivered by TD Éamon Ó Cuív.

The committee will also host a public display of memorabilia associated with Lynch and, the volunteers, and Cumann na mBan.

Local Independent TD Mattie McGrath, who is heavily involved in the committee, said they have already “collected a lot of very good stuff” but are still putting out a public call to all those who may have memorabilia including old letters, equipment, photographs or historical accounts of the men and women who fought for Irish independence between 1919 and 1923. He said: 

All memorabilia will be treated with the utmost care and respect and will be returned to the respective owners following the Easter weekend events.

A very informative commemoration calendar, packed with historical facts about Lynch, has been produced by the committee which expects it to sell out quickly. It will be available for sale in the coming weeks and over the Easter weekend.

On Easter Saturday morning, the bus tour will travel across many of the significant locations visited by General Lynch in his final days and weeks including locations in the Nire, Newcastle, and Goatenbridge before visiting the Liam Lynch monument — the location where he was fatally wounded.

That evening, a book entitled Liam Lynch: Irish Revolutionary will be launched by historian Gerard Shannon which will be followed by an evening of traditional music, song, and story in Newcastle Community Hall.

On Easter Sunday morning, the follow-the-footsteps walking tour will retrace the journey taken by Liam Lynch, Frank Aiken, Seán Hyde, Seán O’Mara, Bill Quirke, and local scouts Michael Condon and Bill Houlihan from Houlihan’s House to the spot where Lynch was wounded.

The walk will then follow the path back to Newcastle before reaching Nugent’s Pub. There will be two options with a shorter 6km walk and a longer 11.5km trail back to Newcastle.

The village has had a long association with General Lynch and an annual commemoration has been held there every April since 1935.

Having successfully fundraised far and wide, including in the US, former comrades of General Liam Lynch and the Liam Lynch Memorial Committee constructed the impressive 'Round Tower' at the place where Lynch was shot on the Knockmealdown Mountains above Newcastle village, in memory of Lynch, their fallen hero and leader as Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army.

Following the unveiling of the monument in 1935, the committee of locals  — mainly from Newcastle, Ballybacon, and Fourmilewater — committed to holding a commemoration in Newcastle in April of each year.

Many of the events planned this April have limited capacity and tickets will go on sale in local shops and online at liamlynchcommemorationnewcastle.ie in the coming weeks.

For more information, people can contact Tríona on 087 9525770 or Maura on 086 8780891. 

They can also email liamlynchcommemoration@gmail.com. 

In addition, those interested can also follow the Liam Lynch Centenary Newcastle pages on Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date with the planned events.

Anglesborough, Co Limerick

While Fianna Fáil mainly hold sway in other Munster commemorations for Lynch, it’s Sinn Fein which is running the one on Anglesborough, Co Limerick, where Liam Lynch was born.

Such is the esteem the party hold him in, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald is to lead a parade there on Easter Monday, April 10.

The Sinn Féin General Liam Lynch centenary commemoration weekend will get underway on Easter Sunday night April 9 at 7.30pm in the Firgrove Hotel, Mitchelstown.

“We will be having a lecture and dinner on the night,” said organising committee chairman Eddie O’Sullivan.

The guest speaker will be Gerard Shannon, the academic and author who has written a new book, To Declare For A Republic, about the life and death of Lynch.

Mary Lou McDonald is also expected to speak at that event.

Mr O’Sullivan said tickets for the Firgrove event cost €40 each and include a four-course meal, entertainment by The Paddy Bhouys band, plus a special Liam Lynch centenary commemoration badge.

Those wishing to attend can book tickets by contacting Mr O’Sullivan at 087 7953179, or Kevin Hannon on 086 3855607. This is the only ticketed event for their commemorations.

“On Easter Monday, April 10, in Anglesborough, we will be having our annual commemoration for General Liam Lynch centenary starting at 1pm. Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald will be in attendance as the main speaker for the centenary commemoration,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

“The Liam Lynch Pipe Band from Anglesborough will be attending along with the Castlelyons Thomas Kent Pipe Band. There will also be a Tipperary colour party.

“This commemoration is open to everyone to attend as it is a celebration of General Liam Lynch about giving up his life for Ireland like many before him and after him.”

There is a monument to Lynch just to the north of the village, which is only a short distance from the house he was born in.

After that event, the organisers have arranged a screening of John Foley's film The Dying Days of General Liam Lynch in the community hall in Anglesborough.

This will take place at around 4pm and is free of charge for anybody who wants to see it.

John Foley’s film recently had its premiere in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, and was widely acclaimed.

Not only is it been screened at the Anglesborough Community Centre, it will also go on show at other venues:

• On Sunday, March 9, it will be shown at The Gealach Gorm Theatre in Kill, Co Waterford;
• On April 9, it will be screened in at the Youth Club on Ashe Quay, Fermoy at 3pm, with a possible second screening at 4pm, depending on demand;
• On the same day, it will be screened in Newcastle, Co Tipperary, this time at 7pm in the community hall. There is a possibility it will be screened there at 8.30pm as well. Again, this will depend on demand;
• It will return to the cinema in Dungarvan for a second showing in the town on March 23 at 7pm;
• The final screening in this particular tour will take place at the community hall in Ballymacarbery, Co Waterford, on April 16 at 8.30pm. 

This event will be followed by a question-and-answer session with Mr Foley.

Meanwhile, an illustrated talk is to be undertaken on Wednesday, April 5, at St George’s Arts and Heritage Centre, George St, Mitchelstown.

It will get underway at 8pm and will again headline the Lynch book author Gerard Shannon.

It’s being organised by the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society in conjunction with Mitchelstown Heritage Society.

Mr Shannon will speak about the life of Liam Lynch.

The event is the Cork Historical & Archaeological Society’s annual “County Lecture” and Mitchelstown has been selected for this year’s county lecture given its proximity to the location of the death of Liam Lynch in April 1923.

The event will also mark the association of Canon Courtney Moore, a founding member of the Cork Historical & Archaeological Society, with the lecture’s venue, St George’s Arts and Heritage Centre.