Galway is the county of birth of Éamonn Ceannt and was also the summer destination of PH Pearse. The county is also the location where one of the largest force of Irish Volunteers mobilised, and though poorly armed and equipped, struck a blow for Irish independence.
The programme for the County of Galway, developed by Galway County Council in close consultation and partnership with the communities of the County, aims to acknowledge our strong ties to this defining period. It also aims to commemorate the historic events of Easter 1916, honour all those who participated and whose lives were affected by those events and to enhance the understanding of current and future generations of the defining events of the period.
The community and stakeholder consultation process underpinning the development of the Programme ensures that it is inclusive, comprehensive and balanced, that it recognises the totality of the history of the period, that it places mutual respect and historical accuracy at its core and enables active engagement by all those who are interested in commemorating our history, in all its dimensions, with pride and with respect. Our programme acknowledges the special significance of the centenary to the relatives of those actively involved in the Rising in our county.
In particular, the Community Participation strand reflects the enthusiasm of the county’s people to remember, reflect and commemorate the events of 1916. It illustrates that the strong community spirit of the Galway men and women of 1916 abides in the people of the county today. The local communities have shown their wish to engage in the commemoration plans for 2016 and to honour and remember their ancestors and history with dignity and pride. A strong desire exists to learn more, to remember and instil a sense of pride in the people involved and the activities of that extraordinary week and period in Ireland’s history. The Decade of Commemorations 2013 - 2023 Commemorative Strategy for the County of Galway developed by Galway County Council in 2013 has enabled communities right across the County of Galway to consider how best to mark their ties and connections with the events of Easter 1916. This period of reflection and structured local engagement has produced a significant and varied programme of appropriate and inclusive commemorative events for all ages. These cultural, historical and educational events supported by Galway County Council under the Galway County Council Community Commemorative Grant Scheme include exhibitions, lectures, publications, re-enactments, remembrance gardens and sculptures. The communities in areas where most activity took place in the county during Easter week, such as Athenry, Clarenbridge, Carnmore Cross, Oranmore and South Galway, and those communities with strong ties to the Proclamation Signatories, Ceannt and Pearse, including Ballymoe and South Connemara, have been actively involved in preparations for the centenary for a lengthy period of time. This is reflected in their contribution to the programme of a comprehensive and balanced range of community based initiatives and activities in remembrance of events of special historical significance to their communities, and in many instance their county and country.
Galway County Council‘s own programme, developed through a deep consultation process and by working closely with the people and organisations throughout the county, is extensive. The breadth and depth of events and activities demonstrate our commitment to engage citizens and secure the participation of local communities and people of all ages in the commemorations, while recognising the value and importance of the active participation of the relatives of those who were involved in 1916, and the Galway diaspora.
Based on an acknowledgement that our history cannot be properly understood through a single prism, as the events of 1916 did not happen and therefore cannot be evaluated or remembered in isolation, the programme recognises the totality of the history of the period and the diversity that this encompasses.
The programme is underpinned by the five intersecting themes: Remembering, Reconciling, Presenting, Imaging and Celebrating and is built on the Seven Programme Strands: Ceremonial, Historical Reflection, An Teanga Bheo, Youth and Imagination, Cultural Expression, Community Participation and Global and Diaspora - and includes flagship projects such as:
Centenary Reflections on the 1916 Rising: a County Galway Perspective
This bi-lingual publication will provide the reader with a very valuable insight into the 1916 Rising in the County of Galway. It will also examine the social and economic conditions in the county at this time, as well as emigration, infrastructure and an account of some of the leaders of the Rising such as Liam Mellows and Tom Kenny. It will provide accounts of Éamonn Ceannt and PH Pearse as well as the memorialisation of 1916 in the county.
Decade of Commemoration Website and Memory Mapping Project
This website and memory mapping project is an action of the Galway County Commemorative Strategy 2013- 2023. It has been undertaken as a partnership project between Galway County Council and The National Museum of Ireland. It is a ‘community archive’ website bringing together a wealth of photographs, memories, family histories, historical documents and research relating to the 1913-1923 period of the history of the county. This website will have a facility for the Diaspora and others who may have information to contribute directly to the website, unearthing new material and ultimately creating a rich and varied archive of life and times at this point of our history.
Galway County Libraries will host and launch a series of Spring and Autumn countywide reader development awareness workshops, and lectures for the Galway’s Great Read, 2016. The spring readings titled 1916: A literary journey through the pen of Irish authors will examine and provide an overview of writings by Irish authors, local and national, focusing on the representations of the Easter Rising and life during that period. The Autumn Great Read, titled, Living Literature: writings from the cradle to the grave will examine literature and life, from childhood to old age, the visible and invisible, the silent and the dominant voices in society during the revolutionary era.
Galway County Council Archives will create and curate a travelling exhibition, From Colonial State to Free State, What they Said. Drawn almost exclusively from Galway County Council and Rural District Council minutes the exhibition will illustrate the attitudes and mores of Galway County Council between 1913 and 1923, focusing on the period after the 1916 Rising. The content and tone of the minutes reveal the political and social mind-set at that time. It is hoped this perspective on that tumultuous period in Ireland’s past will be informative and a helpful resource to those interested in learning how county Galway and its people viewed and reacted to events as they unfolded, which led to Irish independence and shaped the birth of our sovereign state.
County Galway: 1916 Rising Heritage Trail
This is a collaborative project between Galway County Council and the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology. Various sites in the County of Galway relating to the 1916 Rising and the people associated with the Rising will be documented and a brochure will be produced which will give the reader/visitor an insight into the events, places and people associated with the Rising in County Galway.
Seminar: The Role of Women in 1916 with a specific focus on Cumman na mBan
The seminar will seek to discuss Cumann na mBan the organisation, the role played by Cumann na mBan in 1916 and look at the lives of some of the leading members of Cumann na mBan in County Galway.
The Éamonn Ceannt Symposium
This will take place on the centenary of the death of Éamonn Ceannt in his birthplace of Ballymoe, County Galway. The symposium will seek to examine various facets of Ceannt’s life including his membership of the Gaelic League and his co-founding of Cumann na bPíobairí with Edward Martyn and indeed his role in the 1916 Rising.
Galway County Council will launch the Éamonn Ceannt Scholarships and the Pádraig Pearse Gaeltacht Scholarships in recognition of their strong ties to the county of Galway and will develop Irish language Resource Packs to provide guidance, practical tips and knowledge to Schools, Community Groups and Sporting clubs in how to promote and enhance the use of Irish in their organisations and in how to prepare Irish language activity plans.
Scoil Samhraidh an Phiarsaigh
Inaugurated in 2015 by Galway County Council, will be held annually and in 2016 will explore issues surrounding Pearse’s vision for the Irish language and nourishing the language, to include An Ghaeltacht, Irish Language, Language Rights, Culture and Education.
Due to the strong ties between the County of Galway and PH Pearse, one of the seven flagship projects for the 1916 centenary year, supported by the Government, is the development of a cultural centre at Teach an Phiarsaigh. The cultural centre will provide an experiential introduction to the Irish language and the local Gaeltacht culture and environment, while focusing on Pearse and his relationship with Ros Muc. Galway County Council has actively supported the development of the cultural centre at Teach an Phiarsaigh, providing the County of Galway with an appropriate permanent reminder of the contribution of Pearse and his close connections with Connemara and the County of Galway.
When our 2016 programme comes to an end, we are confident that it will have facilitated an inclusive conversation and provided an increased awareness and appreciation of the significant role of the people of the County of Galway in one of the key events leading to the founding of the State. This legacy will be a reflection on where we have come from, including our complex history. The Galway Programme will have secured the active engagement of the people of Galway and its diaspora in commemorating our history with pride and with respect, thereby creating an important insight and awareness for future generations.
County Galway’s 1916 Rising: a Short History
Liam Mellows moved to Athenry in the spring of 1915 and became the chief organiser for the Irish Volunteers in County Galway. During Easter Week 1916, he led a substantial number of Volunteers in a Rising in the east of County Galway, which lasted from Tuesday 25 April to Saturday 29 April. The small village of Killeeneen, located between Clarenbridge and Craughwell, was the starting point of the county’s Rising on Easter Tuesday, with the cottage and schoolhouse of the late Hubert Walsh serving as Mellows’ headquarters. Having mobilised his forces, who were dressed in an assortment of attire, including forage hats and Sam Browne belts, Mellows marched through the Redington estate and led almost 100 Volunteers in an attack on the RIC barracks at Clarenbridge. The confrontation lasted from around 7:20 am to 10:38 am. Although the rebels failed to take the barracks, it is believed that a small number of policemen were taken as prisoners. Throughout the incident, spiritual assistance was provided by Father Harry Feeney, who acted as Chaplain to the rebels. The siege of the barracks continued until police reinforcements arrived from Kilcolgan.
In another incident sometime between 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm on Tuesday, Joe Howley and Michael Athy led around 106 Volunteers in an attack on the front and rear of the RIC barracks in Oranmore village. After an unsuccessful attempt to take the barracks, they linked up with Mellows’ men halfway along road between Oranmore and Clarenbridge. The combined force of over 200 Volunteers then renewed the attack on Oranmore. Explosives were used by a group of rebels, led by Eamonn Corbett of Killeeneen, to blast a hole in the middle of a strategic road bridge at Millplot, on the northern side of Oranmore. To stop the flow of traffic on the southern side of the village, a barricade was erected on the road to Clarenbridge, while another one was set up between Clarenbridge and Kilcolgan. The rebels also cut over 200 yards of the Galway-Athenry railway line at Derrydonnell. However, in a tactical miscalculation, the railway line from Oranmore to Galway town was left intact. According to one estimate, six policemen were captured at Oranmore.
At around 7:30 pm on Tuesday, police reinforcements from Galway town arrived in Oranmore, accompanied by a party of 10 Connaught Rangers from Renmore barracks under the command of Captain Andrew Armstrong. Due to the ‘superior fire-power’ of the authorities, the rebels were forced "to retreat out of the town … along the Athenry road". After marching for about six miles eastwards along the main Oranmore-Athenry road, the Clarenbridge, Oranmore and Maree Volunteers arrived after 9:00 pm at the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction’s model farm, located about a mile to the south-west of Athenry town. At this location, situated on land owned by the Goodbody Quakers in the townland of Ballygarraun West, they met up with additional Companies. Among these were the Athenry Volunteers, who had been forced to abandon Athenry town, which "was strongly held by 200 well-armed police" after the Rising started.
After getting word of what was going on in the capital, the authorities in Galway town declared martial law and quickly secured the main public buildings, including the GPO. According to the Galway Observer, other premises closed ‘of their own accord, so that the town presented the appearance of a city preparing for a siege’. By around 6:00 pm on Tuesday evening, District Inspector Neilan arrived into the town ‘with about 70 men from the Connemara district’. Members of the National Volunteers also set up patrols in the town. A reserve civilian force was raised too, with backing from a committee chaired by a prominent businessman, Máirtín Mór McDonogh.
The only fatality of the Rising in County Galway was Patrick Whelan, a 38-year-old policeman who was stationed at Eglinton Street barracks. Constable Whelan was killed by a gunshot to the left side of his head at Carnmore Crossroads between 5:00 am and 5:30 am on Wednesday 26 April, during a shootout between an RIC reconnaissance unit under District Inspector Heard (assisted by soldiers commanded by Captain Bodkin) and a group of rebels. The men who gathered at Carnmore belonged to the Castlegar and Claregalway Volunteers, commanded by Brian Molloy and Nicholas Kyne respectively. Panic and fear gripped Galway town after the killing, as did unfounded stories about a possible attack by the rebels. In the end, the ominous presence of British warships in Galway Bay – including the HMS Guillemot, HMS Laburnum, HMS Gloucester and HMS Snowdrop – was sufficient to thwart any potential attack on the town centre. The navy established a territorial marker by directing artillery fire towards the townlands of Castlegar, Ballindooly and Lydican – all located in sparsely populated countryside beyond the town’s north-eastern boundary. The HMS Laburnum, an Acacia-class sloop built by Charles Connell and Company, was responsible for firing ‘on Castlegar hill’ and the approaches to the town on Wednesday afternoon. As this was happening, ‘observers were on the roof of the Railway Hotel to report results’. One of the shells ‘burst in Ballinfoyle [Ballinfoile]’, located a short distance inside the municipal boundary. Shells were also fired towards Oranmore on Wednesday, leaving ‘holes ploughed in the earth’.
The total number of rebels who occupied the model farm, from Tuesday night to Wednesday afternoon, has been estimated variously as 500, 600 or 700 Volunteers. Initially, the occupying force on Tuesday night was made up of the Athenry, Cussaun, Derrydonnell, Kilconierin, Newcastle and Rockfield (Craughwell) Volunteers. Not long afterwards, the number of Companies at the model farm rose to nine, after the arrival of the Clarenbridge, Oranmore and Maree Volunteers. At around 11am the following morning, the rebel force grew to 11 identifiable Companies, following the arrival of the Castlegar and Claregalway Volunteers from Carnmore. Most of the rebels consisted of young Catholic men from small farming, labouring and artisan upbringings. The majority of them were members of GAA clubs and some were Irish-speakers and Gaelic League members. However, they were poorly armed with approximately 25 rifles, 60 revolvers, 60 pikes and 300 shotguns. Their miscellaneous arsenal also included homemade hand-grenades, bayonets, hayforks and a number of improvised weapons. For the short duration of their stay, ‘ample accommodation’ was ‘found in the big lofts’. At about 7:00 am on Wednesday, around seven RIC from Athenry arrived within 400 yards of the model farm. However, a group of rebels led by Frank Hynes managed to repel the attack. About four hours after this incident, Mellows held a Council of War with Larry Lardner, Dick Murphy, Eamon Corbett, Matty Neilan, Tom Ruane and Father Feeney. Ruane suggested that the Volunteers should be broken up into small columns to fight against the police, but the meeting decided against this course of action. In the afternoon, the atmosphere at the farm became more tense after the Laburnum started shelling the countryside around Galway town. At one stage in the day, an ‘official report’ was sent out, announcing "that warships were getting the range at Athenry".
On the same afternoon, Mellows abandoned the model farm and led the rebels in a retreat to Moyode Castle in Kilconierin parish – a derelict residence located about three miles to the south-east. The ‘castle’, which was owned by Lady Ardilaun, was easily seized when the rebels arrived at around 4:00 pm, as it was only protected by a caretaker, John Shackleton. As Mellows waited in Moyode for news of events in the wider region, his new location beside the Dooyertha River left ‘the way open alternatively to Gort or to the Shannon’. In the meantime, he established a chain of lookout posts around the outer reaches of Moyode. A railway bridge at Craughwell was damaged, seemingly with the objective of stopping military reinforcements moving in by rail from Limerick. At one stage, police scouts from Athenry tried to make an advance towards Moyode, but they ‘were chased back to their barracks’. However, the rebels’ situation was becoming increasingly hazardous. On Thursday afternoon, ‘a large force of infantry and cavalry, with a battery of artillery and machine guns and armoured cars’ arrived in Athenry, having set out from Loughrea. The rebels ended up staying at Moyode for Wednesday and Thursday nights, and most of Friday. While there, cooking was done by Cumann na mBan women, who also administered first aid. Father Feeney delivered general absolution to those going on scouting missions. Thomas Davis’s song, ‘A Nation Once Again’, was sung next to the camp fire ‘in an atmosphere tense with optimism and excitement’. Such sanguinity was short lived, as around 200 men ended up leaving Moyode early. Some of those who departed were opposed to prolonging the campaign due to the scarcity of arms. Those who remained at Moyode were now faced with the threat of soldiers and policemen advancing from both the west and the east.
On Friday, the rebels retreated south-westwards from Moyode Castle in the direction of County Clare. Whilst acknowledging that they had been ‘practically hemmed in at the time’, Mellows later defended the abandonment of Moyode on the grounds that ‘it was believed that Cork and Kerry were out and that a junction would be effected with them, rousing Clare on the way’. Those who stayed with Mellows made up a depleted column – estimated variously as 150, 300 or 400 Volunteers. Having moved through almost 15 miles of poor country roads in the evening (past Craughwell and through Monksfield, Ballyglass and Cockstown), the fatigued party reached their final destination in Kilthomas parish in the hours of darkness – an unoccupied residence near Peterswell called Limepark House. The time of their arrival at the big house, which was the former residence of the Persses and was now surrounded by thick shrubbery, has been estimated variously as 11:00 pm on Friday, 12:00 am on Saturday or 1:00 am on Saturday. Sometime in the early hours of Saturday morning, a decision was taken to disband and to set the prisoners free, thus ending County Galway’s Rising. Most of the Volunteers returned to their homes with immediate effect, by taking to the byways and fields. According to Mattie Neilan, ‘it was with the greatest reluctance’ that the Volunteers ‘began to break up’. Although they ‘had to abandon their fight’, he felt that ‘they had struck their blow’ for freedom.
After the disbandment of the main rebel group, Mellows went on the run with Alf Monaghan and Frank Hynes. After leaving the grounds of Limepark House, they made their way by foot to a farm residence owned by Peter Howley’s father in Cockstown East, located less than a mile away. After a meal of meat with tea, the trio departed in the early morning. In the days that followed, they made their way southwards through Ballycahalan, Lurgan, Knockroe, Drumminalough, Cournageeha and Gortacarnaun. After crossing into County Clare and passing through Drumandoora and Loughaun, they ended up hiding in a hut in Kilduff Upper (near Tulla) for five months, with the help of Michael Maloney, a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB). Disguised in a black gossamer veil, Mellows fled to Queenstown (Cobh) in October 1916 and then sailed to Liverpool. After crossing the Atlantic, he arrived in New York around mid-December 1916.
Others were not so lucky in evading the authorities. Across Ireland, more than 3,100 people were arrested and around 2,500 of them were deported in May 1916. Many of these were Volunteers from County Galway, who were taken away by train to Richmond Barracks or Arbour Hill and then sent abroad to different British prisons. Of the 1,800 or so Irish rebels who were interned at Frongoch camp in south Wales in early June, 322 were men from County Galway – a number second only to County Dublin. More than 1,100 prisoners were released from the camp in August, with the rest remaining interned until shortly before Christmas. Although the 1916 Rising was a military failure, it still gave realisation to "the dream of self-determination" becoming "a reality" and proved to be one of those "moments in history when a seed is sown and the old order changes forever."
Is i nGaillimh a rugadh Éamonn Ceannt agus ba ann a chaitheadh Pádraig Mac Piarais an samhradh chomh maith. Is sa chontae seo a bhí ceann de na fórsaí d’Óglaigh na hÉireann ba mhó a slógadh, agus cé nach raibh airm ná trealamh cearta acu, bhuail siad buille do neamhspleáchas na hÉireann.
Tá sé mar aidhm ag an gclár do Chontae na Gaillimhe, a d’fhorbair Comhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe i gcomhairliúchán agus i gcomhpháirt le pobail an Chontae, aitheantas a thabhairt do na naisc láidre leis an tréimhse shainitheach seo. Tá sé mar aidhm leis chomh maith comóradh a dhéanamh ar imeachtaí stairiúla Cháisc 1916, chun ómós a thabhairt dóibh siúd ar fad a bhí páirteach agus a raibh tionchar ag na himeachtaí sin ar a saol agus chun tuiscint na glúine reatha agus glún amach anseo ar imeachtaí sainitheacha na tréimhse a bhreisiú.
Cinntíonn an próiseas comhairliúcháin leis an bpobal agus le páirtithe leasmhara a bhí mar bhonn agus mar thaca ag forbairt an Chláir go bhfuil sé cuimsitheach agus cothrom, go n-aithnítear ann iomláine stair na tréimhse, go mbíonn cóimheas agus beachtas stairiúil ina chroílár agus go gcumasaíonn sé rannpháirtíocht ghníomhach na ndaoine ar fad a bhfuil suim acu comóradh a dhéanamh ar ár stair, ina gnéithe ar fad, le bród agus le meas. Aithnítear inár gclár an tsuntasacht speisialta a bhaineann leis an gcomóradh céad bliain do ghaolta na ndaoine a bhí gníomhach san Éirí Amach inár gcontae
Go háirithe, léirítear i snáithe Rannpháirtíocht Phobail suim mhuintir an chontae cuimhneamh, machnamh agus comóradh a dhéanamh ar imeachtaí 1916. Léirítear ann go bhfuil an spiorad pobail láidir a bhí i bhfir agus i mná na Gaillimhe i 1916 agus fós beo i muintir an chontae inniu. Tá suim léirithe ag na pobail áitiúla i bpáirt a ghlacadh i bpleananna comórtha do 2016 agus in ómós a léiriú agus cuimhneamh ar a sinsir agus a stair le dínit agus le bród. Tá mian láidir ann tuilleadh a fhoghlaim, cuimhneamh agus bród a léiriú ar na daoine a bhí páirteach agus ar na gníomhaíochtaí a rinneadh sa tseachtain agus sa tréimhse neamhchoitianta sin i stair na hÉireann. Chuir Straitéis Chuimhneacháin do Chontae na Gaillimhe, Deich mBliana na gCuimhneachán 2013 – 2023 a d’fhorbair ag Comhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe in 2013 ar chumas pobal ar fud Chontae na Gaillimhe smaoineamh ar an mbealach is fearr le comóradh a dhéanamh ar a gceangal le himeachtaí Cháisc 1916. Tá clár éagsúil d’imeachtaí cuí agus cuimsitheacha do gach aois táirgthe ag an tréimhse machnaimh agus rannpháirtíocht áitiúil struchtúrtha seo. Áirítear leis na himeachtaí cultúrtha, stairiúla agus oideachasúla seo a dtacaíonn Comhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe leo faoi Scéim Deontais um Chomóradh Pobail Chomhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe taispeántais, léachtaí, foilseacháin, léirithe aithrise, gairdíní agus dealbha cuimhneacháin. Bhí na pobail i gceantair ina raibh an ghníomhaíocht ba mhó sa chontae le linn sheachtain na Cásca, ar nós Bhaile Átha an Rí, Dhroichead an Chláirín, Chrois an Chairn Mhóir, Órán Mór agus Dheisceart na Gaillimhe agus na pobail sin a bhfuil naisc láidre acu le Sínitheoirí an Fhorógra, Ceannt agus Mac Piarais, lena n-áirítear Béal Átha Mó agus Deisceart Chonamara, an-ghníomhach ag réiteach don chomóradh céad bliain le fada an lá. Léirítear é seo sa mhéid a chuir siad leis an gclár cuimsitheach agus cothrom de thionscnaimh agus gníomhaíochtaí pobalbhunaithe i gcuimhne ar imeachtaí a raibh suntasacht speisialta stairiúil leo dá bpobail, agus in go leor cásanna dá gcontae agus dá dtír.
Tá clár fairsing ag Comhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe, a forbraíodh trí phróiseas domhain comhairliúcháin agus trí oibriú go dlúth le daoine agus le heagraíochtaí ar fud an chontae. Léiríonn fairsinge agus téagar na n-imeachtaí agus na ngníomhaíochtaí ár dtiomantas do dhul i ngleic le saoránaigh agus do rannpháirtíocht na bpobal áitiúil agus daoine idir óg agus aosta a shlánú don chomóradh, agus aithnítear freisin luach agus tábhacht rannpháirtíocht ghníomhach ghaolta na ndaoine sin a bhí páirteach i 1916 agus dhiaspóra na Gaillimhe.
Bunaithe ar an aitheantas nach féidir ár stair a thuiscint i gceart trí phriosma aonair, mar nár tharla imeachtaí 1916 astu féin agus dá bhrí sin nach féidir iad a mheas nó cuimhneamh orthu astu féin, aithnítear sa chlár iomláine stair na tréimhse agus an éagsúlacht a chuimsíonn í.
Tá cúig théama thrasnacha mar bhonn agus mar thaca ag an gclár: Cuimhneamh, Réiteach, Cur i láthair, Samhlú agus Ceiliúradh agus tá sé tógtha ar Sheacht Shnáithe Cláir: Searmanas, Machnamh ar an Stair, an Teanga Bheo, an Óige agus an tSamhlaíocht, Léiriú Cultúrtha, Rannpháirtíocht Phobail, Éireannaigh ar fud an domhain agus an Diaspóra agus áirítear tionscadail cheannródaíocha cosúil le:
Machnamh Céad Bliain ar Éirí Amach 1916: Dearcadh Chontae na Gaillimhe
Tabharfaidh an foilseachán dátheangach seo léargas an-luachmhar don léitheoir maidir le hÉirí Amach 1916 i gContae na Gaillimhe. Scrúdófar chomh maith na cúinsí sóisialta agus geilleagair sa chontae ag an am, mar aon le himirce, bonneagar agus cuntas ar roinnt de cheannairí an Éirí Amach ar nós Liam Uí Mhaoilíosa agus Tom Kenny. Tabharfar cuntas ar Éamonn Ceannt agus ar Phádraig Mac Piarais mar aon le cuimhneachán ar 1916 sa chontae.
Suíomh Gréasáin agus Tionscadal Mapála Cuimhne do Dheich mBliana na gCuimhneachán
Gníomh de Straitéis Chuimhneacháin do Chontae na Gaillimhe 2013-2023 is ea an suíomh gréasáin agus an tionscadal mapála cuimhne seo. Tugadh faoi mar thionscadal comhpháirtíochta idir Comhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe agus Ard-Mhúsaem na hÉireann. Suíomh gréasáin ‘cartlann phobail’ atá ann a thugann le chéile flúirse grianghraf, cuimhní, stair mhuintire, cáipéisí stairiúla agus taighde a bhaineann leis an tréimhse idir 1913-1923 i stair an chontae. Beidh áis ar an suíomh gréasáin don Diaspóra agus do dhaoine eile a bhfuil faisnéis acu cur go díreach leis an suíomh gréasáin, chun ábhar nua a aimsiú agus chun cartlann shaibhir agus éagsúil faoin saol sa ré sin dár stair a chruthú.
Reáchtálfaidh agus seolfaidh Leabharlanna Contae na Gaillimhe léachtaí agus sraith ceardlann forbartha feasachta san earrach agus san fhómhar ar fud an chontae le haghaidh Léamh Mór na Gaillimhe, 2016. Déanfar scrúdú sa léitheoireacht earraigh dar teideal 1916: Turas liteartha trí pheann údair na hÉireann agus tabharfar léargas foriomlán ar scríbhneoireacht ó údair na hÉireann, idir áitiúil agus náisiúnta, ag díriú ar léirithe ar Éirí Amach na Cásca agus ar an saol i rith na tréimhse sin. Déanfar scrúdú i Léamh Mór an fhómhair, dar teideal Litríocht Bheo: scríbhneoireacht ón gcliabhán go dtí an uaigh ar litríocht agus ar an saol ón óige go seanaois, na glórtha ciúine agus ceannasacha sa tsochaí i rith na ré réabhlóidí.
Cruthóidh agus coimeádfaidh Cartlanna Chomhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe taispeántas taistil dar teideal Ó Stát Coilíneach go Saorstát, na Rudaí a Dúirt Siad. Tógtha go príomha ó mhiontuairiscí Chomhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe agus Chomhairle na Dúiche Tuaithe, léireoidh an taispeántas meon agus obair Chomhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe idir 1913 agus 1923, ag díriú ar an tréimhse tar éis Éirí Amach 1916. Léirítear in ábhar agus ton na miontuairiscí an meon aigne polaitiúil agus sóisialta ag an am. Táthar ag súil go mbeidh an dearcadh seo ar an tréimhse chorraitheach sin in Éirinn faisnéiseach agus ina acmhainn chabhrach dóibh siúd a bhfuil suim acu i bhfoghlaim faoin gcaoi ar amharc agus ar fhreagair Contae na Gaillimhe agus a mhuintir d’imeachtaí fad is ar tharla siad, arbh iad ba chúis le neamhspleáchas na hÉireann agus a chuir cruth ar bhreith ár náisiúin cheannasaigh.
Contae na Gaillimhe: Rian Oidhreachta Éirí Amach 1916
Tionscadal comhoibritheach idir Comhairle Cathrach na Gaillimhe agus Institiúid Teicneolaíochta na Gaillimhe- Mhaigh Eo is ea Contae na Gaillimhe: Rian Oidhreachta Éirí Amach 1916. Déanfar doiciméadú ar shuíomhanna éagsúla i gContae na Gaillimhe a bhaineann le hÉirí Amach 1916 agus leis na daoine a bhí páirteach san Éirí Amach agus cuirfear bileog eolais ar fáil a thabharfaidh léargas don léitheoir/chuairteoir ar imeachtaí, ar áiteanna agus ar dhaoine a bhain leis an Éirí Amach i gContae na Gaillimhe.
Seimineár: Ról na mBan i 1916 le fócas ar leith ar Chumann na mBan
Déanfar plé sa seimineár seo ar Chumann na mBan – an eagraíocht, an ról a bhí ag Cumann na mBan i 1916 agus féachfar ar shaolta roinnt de phríomhbhaill Chumann na mBan i gContae na Gaillimhe.
Siompóisiam Éamoinn Ceannt
Reáchtálfar Siompóisiam Éamoinn Ceannt ar chothrom céad bliain bhás Éamoinn Ceannt ina áit bhreithe i mBéal Átha Mó, Co. na Gaillimhe. Déanfar iarracht sa siompóisiam scrúdú a dhéanamh ar ghnéithe éagsúla de shaol Ceannt, lena n-áirítear a bhallraíocht i gConradh na Gaeilge agus gurbh é a chomhbhunaigh Cumann na bPíobairí le Edward Martyn agus go deimhin a ról in Éirí Amach 1916.
Seolfaidh Comhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe Scoláireachtaí Éamoinn Ceannt agus Scoláireachtaí Gaeltachta Phádraig Mhic Phiarais mar aitheantas ar a naisc láidre le contae na Gaillimhe agus forbróidh siad Pacáistí Acmhainne Gaeilge chun treoir, leideanna praiticiúla agus eolas a thabhairt do Scoileanna, do Ghrúpaí Pobail agus do chumainn Spóirt maidir leis an nGaeilge a chur chun cinn agus a bhreisiú ina n-eagraíochtaí agus maidir le pleananna gníomhaíochta Gaeilge a réiteach.
Scoil Samhraidh an Phiarsaigh
Reáchtálfar Scoil Samhraidh an Phiarsaigh, a bhunaigh Comhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe in 2015, go bliantúil agus in 2016 fiosrófar ann saincheisteanna maidir le fís an Phiarsaigh don Ghaeilge agus an teanga a chothú, lena n-áireofar an Ghaeltacht, an Ghaeilge, Cearta Teanga, Cultúr agus Oideachas.
Mar gheall ar na naisc láidre idir Contae na Gaillimhe agus Pádraig Mac Piarais, tá ionad cultúrtha ag Teach an Phiarsaigh a fhorbairt ar cheann de na seacht bpríomhthionscadal do bhliain chomórtha 1916 a bhfuil an Rialtas ag tacú leo. Tabharfaidh an t-ionad cultúrtha réamhrá ó thaithí don Ghaeilge agus do chultúr agus do thimpeallacht áitiúil na Gaeltachta, ag díriú ar an bPiarsach agus ar a chaidreamh le Ros Muc. Thacaigh Comhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe go gníomhach le forbairt ionaid chultúrtha ag Teach an Phiarsaigh, ag cruthú meabhrúchán buan cuí do Chontae na Gaillimhe ar an méid a rinne an Piarsach agus ar a dhlúthnaisc le Conamara agus le Contae na Gaillimhe.
Nuair a thagann ár gclár 2016 chun críche, táimid muiníneach go mbeidh comhrá cuimsitheach éascaithe aige agus go mbeidh feasacht agus tuiscint mhéadaithe tugtha aige ar ról suntasach mhuintir Chontae na Gaillimhe i gceann de na príomhimeachtaí i mbunú an Stáit. Beidh an oidhreacht seo mar léiriú ar an áit as ar thángamar, lena n-áirítear ár stair chasta. Beidh rannpháirtíocht mhuintir na Gaillimhe agus a Diaspóra slánaithe ag Clár na Gaillimhe chun comóradh a dhéanamh ar ár stair le bród agus le meas, dá bhrí sin ag cruthú léargais agus feasacht thábhachtach do na glúine amach anseo.
Éirí Amach 1916 Chontae na Gaillimhe: Stair Ghairid
Bhog Liam Ó Maoilíosa go Baile Átha an Rí in earrach 1915 agus rinneadh príomheagraí d’Óglaigh na hÉireann i gContae na Gaillimhe dó. I rith Sheachtain na Cásca 1916, threoraigh sé líon suntasach Óglach in Éirí Amach in oirthear Chontae na Gaillimhe, a mhair ó Dé Máirt, an 25 Aibreán go dtí Dé Sathairn, an 29 Aibreán. Ba sa sráidbhaile beag Cill Fhínín, atá suite idir Droichead an Chláirín agus Creachmhaoil, a thosaigh Éirí Amach an chontae ar Mháirt Cásca, agus teachín agus teach scoile Hubert Walsh nach maireann mar cheanncheathrú ag Ó Maoilíosa. Tar éis dó a fhórsaí a ghníomhachtú, a bhí gléasta i meascán éadach, lena n-áirítear hataí foráiste agus criosanna Sam Browne, mháirseáil Ó Maoilíosa trí eastát Redington agus threoraigh sé beagnach 100 Óglach in ionsaí ar bheairic RIC ag Droichead an Chláirín. Mhair an t-achrann ó thart ar 7:20 am go 10:38 am. Cé gur theip ar na reibiliúnaithe an bheairic a ghabháil, creidtear gur gabhadh líon beag póilíní mar phríosúnaithe. I rith na heachtra, thug an tAthair Harry Feeney, a bhí mar Shéiplíneach ag na reibiliúnaithe, cúnamh spioradálta dóibh. Lean an t-ionsaí ar an mbeairic go dtí gur tháinig tuilleadh póilíní ó Chill Cholgáin.
In eachtra eile am éigin idir 12:00 pm agus 1:00 pm Dé Máirt, threoraigh Joe Howley agus Michael Athy timpeall 106 Óglach in ionsaí ar thosach agus ar chúl bheairic RIC i sráidbhaile Órán Mór. Níor éirigh leo an bheairic a ghabháil, agus ina dhiaidh sin chuaigh siad chomh fada le fir Uí Mhaoilíosa leath bealaigh ar an mbóthar idir Órán Mór agus Droichead an Chláirín. Ansin rinne an fórsa nasctha in raibh os cionn 200 Óglach ionsaí nua ar Órán Mór. D’úsáid grúpa reibiliúnaithe, faoi threoir Eamonn Corbett as Cill Fhínín, pléascáin chun poll a phléascadh i lár droichead bóthair straitéiseach ag Preabán an Mhuilinn, ó thuaidh ó Órán Mór. Chun an trácht a stopadh ar an taobh thoir den sráidbhaile, cuireadh baracáid in airde ar an mbóthar go Droichead an Chláirín, agus socraíodh ceann eile idir Droichead an Chláirín agus Cill Cholgáin. Ghearr na reibiliúnaithe freisin os cionn 200 slat den líne iarnróid idir Gaillimh agus Baile Átha an Rí ag Doire Uí Dhónaill. Ach, mar gheall ar mhíríomh oirbheartaíochta, fágadh an líne iarnróid idir Órán Mór agus Gaillimh mar a bhí. De réir meastachán amháin, gabhadh seisear póilíní in Órán Mór.
Ag timpeall 7:30 pm Dé Máirt, tháinig póilíní breise as Gaillimh chomh fad le hÓrán Mór, mar aon le buíon de dheichniúr de na Connaught Rangers as beairic na Rinne Móire faoi stiúir an Chaptaen Andrew Armstrong. De bharr ‘cumhacht lámhaigh níos fearr’ a bheith ag na húdaráis, b’éigean do na reibiliúnaithe ‘cúlú amach as an mbaile … feadh bhóthar Bhaile Átha an Rí’. Tar éis máirseáil ar feadh timpeall sé mhíle soir feadh an phríomhbhóthair ó Órán Mór go Baile Átha an Rí, tháinig Óglaigh Dhroichead an Chláirín, Órán Mór agus Mhearaí chomh fada le modhfheirm na Roinne Talmhaíochta agus Teagaisc Theicniúil, timpeall míle siar ó dheas ó Bhaile Átha an Rí tar éis 9:00 pm. Ag an suíomh seo, suite ar thalamh faoi úinéireacht na Goodbody Quakers i mbaile fearainn Bhaile an Gharráin Thiar, bhuail siad le Complachtaí eile. Ina measc siúd bhí Óglaigh Bhaile Átha an Rí, arbh éigean dóibh Baile Átha an Rí a thréigean mar go raibh ‘200 póilín faoi iomlán airm’ ann tar éis don Éirí Amach tosú.
Tar éis scéal a fháil faoin méid a bhí ag tarlú san ardchathair, d’fhógair na húdaráis i gcathair na Gaillimhe dlí airm agus shlánaigh siad na príomhfhoirgnimh phoiblí, lena n-áirítear Príomh-Oifig an Phoist, gan mhoill. Dar leis an Galway Observer, dhún áitribh eile ‘as a stuaim féin, ionas go raibh an chuma ar an mbaile go raibh sé ag réiteach le haghaidh ionsaí’. Faoi timpeall 6:00 pm tráthnóna Dé Máirt, tháinig an Cigire Ceantair Neilan isteach sa bhaile ‘le timpeall 70 fear as ceantar Chonamara’. Socraíodh baill de na hÓglaigh Náisiúnta ar patróil sa bhaile chomh maith. Cuireadh fórsa sibhialta cúltaca i bhfeidhm chomh maith, le cúnamh ó choiste faoi chathaoirleach an fhir ghnó mór le rá, Máirtín Mór McDonogh.
Ba é Patrick Whelan an t-aon duine a maraíodh i rith an Éirí Amach i gContae na Gaillimhe, póilín 38 bliain d’aois a bhí lonnaithe i mbeairic Shráid Eglington. Maraíodh an Constábla Whelan de bharr urchair a bhuail taobh clé a chinn ag Crosbhóthar an Chairn Mhóir idir 5:00 am agus 5:30 am Dé Céadaoin, an 26 Aibreán, i rith tréanbhabhta lámhaigh idir aonad taiscéalaíochta RIC faoin gCigire Dúiche Heard (le cúnamh ó shaighdiúirí faoi threoir an Chaptaen Bodkin) agus grúpa reibiliúnaithe. Bhain na fir a bhailigh ag an gCarn Mór le hÓglaigh an Chaisleáin Ghearr agus Bhaile Chláir, faoi stiúir Brian Molloy agus Nicholas Kyne, faoi seach. Bhí anbhá agus faitíos le brath i nGaillimh tar éis an mharaithe, mar aon le scéalta faoi ionsaí féideartha ó na reibiliúnaithe. Ar deireadh, ba leor láithreacht na long cogaidh a fheiceáil i gCuan na Gaillimhe – lena n-áirítear an HMS Guillemot, an HMS Laburnum, an HMS Gloucester agus an HMS Snowdrop – chun aon ionsaí féideartha ar lár an bhaile a sheachaint. Bhunaigh an cabhlach marcóir críche trí scaoileadh airtléire i dtreo bhailte fearainn an Chaisleáin Ghearr, Bhaile an Dúlaigh agus an Laighdeacáin – a bhí suite faoin tuath agus gan mórán daonra iontu taobh amuigh de theorainn thoir thuaidh an bhaile. Bhí an HMS Laburnum, slúpa Acacia a thóg Charles Connell and Company, freagrach as scaoileadh le ‘cnoc an Chaisleáin Ghearr’ agus na bealaí isteach chuig an mbaile tráthnóna Dé Céadaoin. Fad is a bhí sé ag tarlú, ‘bhí breathnóirí ar dhíon Óstán an Iarnróid ag tuairisciú torthaí’. ‘Phléasc ceann de na sliogáin i mBaile an Phoill’, a bhí suite achar gearr taobh istigh de theorainn na cathrach. Caitheadh sliogáin chomh maith i dtreo Órán Mór Dé Céadaoin, a d’fhág ‘poill sa chré’.
Meastar go héagsúil gurbh ionann an líon iomlán reibiliúnaithe a bhí ar an modhfheirm, ó oíche Dé Máirt go dtí tráthnóna Dé Céadaoin, agus 500, 600 nó 700 Óglach. I dtosach, ba bhaill d’Óglaigh Bhaile Átha an Rí, an Chosáin, Dhoire Uí Dhónaill, Chill Chon Iarainn, an Chaisleáin Nua agus Ghort na Carraige (Chreachmhaoile) a bhí san fhórsa forghabhála oíche Dé Máirt. Go gairid ina dhiaidh sin, mhéadaigh an líon Complachtaí ag an modhfheirm go naoi gcomplacht, tar éis d’Óglaigh Dhroichead an Chláirín, Órán Mór agus Mhearaí teacht. Ag timpeall 11 am an mhaidin dár gcionn, mhéadaigh an fórsa reibiliúnaithe go dtí 11 Chomplacht in-aitheanta tar éis d’Óglaigh teacht as an gCaisleán Gearr agus as Baile Chláir ón gCarn Mór. Fir óga Chaitliceacha a bhí i bhformhór na reibiliúnaithe ó chúlraí feirmeacha beaga, saothraíochta agus ceardaíochta. Bhí a bhformhór díobh ina mbaill de chumainn CLG agus bhí roinnt díobh ina nGaeilgeoirí agus ina mbaill de Chonradh na Gaeilge. Ach ní raibh airm mhaithe acu: ní raibh ach timpeall 25 raidhfil, 60 gunnán, 60 píce agus 300 gránghunna acu. Áiríodh lena n-airm ilchineálacha gránáidí láimhe déanta sa bhaile, beaignití, pící féir agus roinnt arm eile seiftithe. Don tréimhse ghairid a d’fhan siad, ‘fuarthas dóthain cóiríochta in áiléir mhóra’. Ag timpeall 7:00 am Dé Céadaoin, tháinig timpeall seachtar ball de RIC ó Bhaile Átha an Rí i bhfoisceacht 400 slat den mhodhfheirm. Ach d’éirigh le grúpa reibiliúnaithe faoi threoir Frank Hynes an t-ionsaí a cheansú. Timpeall ceithre huaire an chloig tar éis na heachtra sin , thionóil Ó Maoilíosa Comhairle Chogaidh le Larry Lardner, Dick Murphy, Eamonn Corbett, Matty Neilan, Tom Ruane agus leis an Athair Feeney. Mhol Ruane gur cheart na hÓglaigh a roinnt ina gcolúin bheaga le troid in aghaidh na bpóilíní, ach chinn an cruinniú ina aghaidh seo. D’éirigh an t-atmaisféar ag an bhfeirm níos teinne tráthnóna tar don Laburnum tosú ag caitheamh sliogán leis an tírdhreach timpeall ar bhaile na Gaillimhe. Tráth amháin sa lá, cuireadh ‘tuairisc oifigiúil’ amach, a d’fhógair go raibh ‘na longa cogaidh ag fáil raon ar Bhaile Átha an Rí’.
An tráthnóna céanna, thréig Ó Maoilíosa an mhodhfheirm agus threoraigh sé na reibiliúnaithe i gcúlú chuig Caisleán Mhaigh Fhód i bparóiste Chill Chon Iarainn – áit chónaithe thréigthe suite timpeall trí mhíle soir ó dheas. Gabhadh an ‘caisleán’ seo, arb leis an mBantiarna Ardilaun é, go héasca nuair a shroich na reibiliúnaithe é timpeall 4:00 pm, mar nach raibh á chosaint ach an feighlí John Shackleton. Agus Ó Maoilíosa ag fanacht i Maigh Fhód le scéal faoi imeachtaí sa réigiún níos leithne, d’fhág a shuíomh nua in aice leis an Dúghiortach ‘bealach oscailte chuig an nGort nó chuig an tSionainn’. Idir an dá linn, bhunaigh sé sraith poist faire timpeall ar imeall Mhaigh Fhód. Rinneadh damáiste do dhroichead iarnróid Chreachmhaoile, agus é mar aidhm is cosúil atreisithe míleata a stopadh ó ghluaiseacht ar an iarnród as Luimneach. Ag am amháin, rinne scabhtaí póilín as Baile Átha an Rí iarracht dul ar aghaidh i dtreo Mhaigh Fhód, ach ‘ritheadh ina ndiaidh ar ais chuig a mbeairic’. Ach bhí staid na reibiliúnaithe ag éirí níos contúirtí. Tráthnóna Déardaoin, shroich ‘fórsa mór coisithe agus marcra, le bataire gunnaí airtléire agus meaisín agus carranna armúrtha’ Baile Átha an Rí, tar éis Baile Locha Riach a fhágáil. D’fhan na reibiliúnaithe i Maigh Fhód san oíche Dé Céadaoin agus Déardaoin, agus an chuid is mó de Dé hAoine. Fad is a bhí siad ann, rinne na mná i gCumann na mBan an chócaireacht, agus chuir siad cóir leighis ar dhaoine. Thug an tAthair Feeney maithiúnas ginearálta dóibh siúd a bhí ag dul ar mhisin scabhtála. Canadh amhrán Thomas Davis ‘A Nation Once Again’, in aice leis an tine sa champa ‘in atmaisféar teann le dóchas agus sceitimíní’. Níor mhair an dóchas seo i bhfad, mar gur fhág timpeall 200 fear Maigh Fhód go luath. Bhí roinnt de na daoine a d’fhág i gcoinne an feachtas a choinneáil ag imeacht mar gheall ar an easpa arm. Bhí na daoine a d’fhan ag Maigh Fhód anois faoi bhagairt saighdiúirí agus póilíní ag teacht aniar agus anoir ina dtreo.
Dé hAoine, chúlaigh a reibiliúnaithe siar ó dheas ó Chaisleán Mhaigh Fhód i dtreo Chontae an Chláir. Ag aithint go raibh siad ‘nach mór sáinnithe ag an am’, chosain Ó Maoilíosa ina dhiaidh sin tréigean Mhaigh Fhód ar an mbunús gur ‘creideadh go raibh Corcaigh agus Ciarraí amuigh agus go bhféadfaí acomhal a dhéanamh leo, ag ardú an Chláir ar an mbealach’. Colún caolaithe a bhí sa mhéid a d’fhan i dteannta Uí Mhaoilíosa – meastar nach raibh ach 150, 300 nó 400 Óglach ann. Tar éis bogadh ar bheagnach 15 mhíle de dhrochbhóithre tuaithe tráthnóna (thar Chreachmhaoil agus trí Fhearann na Manach, tríd an mBaile Glas agus trí Cockstown), shroich an buíon tuirseach ceann scríbe i bparóiste Chill Tómais faoi dhorchadas – áit chónaithe fholamh in aice le Tobar Pheadair ar ar tugadh Teach Bhaile na Creige. Meastar gur shroich siad an teach mór, a mbíodh teaghlach Peress ina gcónaí ann tráth, agus a raibh rosán tiubh timpeall air, ag 11:00 pm Dé hAoine, 12:00 am Dé Sathairn nó 1:00 am Dé Sathairn. Uair éigin go luath maidin Dé Sathairn, rinneadh cinneadh díscaoileadh agus príosúnaithe a scaoileadh saor, ag cur deireadh le hÉirí Amach Chontae na Gaillimhe. D’fhill formhór na nÓglach ar a dtithe láithreach, trí chúlbhealaí agus páirceanna. Dar le Mattie Neilan ‘bhí drogall mór’ ar na hÓglaigh ‘scaradh’. Cé go raibh orthu ‘a dtroid a thréigean’, mheas sé gur ‘thug siad a mbuile’ don tsaoirse.
Tar éis dhíscaoileadh an phríomhghrúpa reibiliúnaithe, theith Ó Maoilíosa le Alf Monaghan agus Frank Hynes. Tar éis thailte Theach Bhaile na Creige a fhágáil, shiúil siad chuig feirm de chuid athair Peter Howley in Cockstown thoir, suite níos lú ná míle ó bhaile. Tar éis béile d’fheoil agus tae a ithe, d’fhág an triúr luath ar maidin. Sna laethanta ina dhiaidh sin, chuaigh siad ó dheas trí Bhaile Uí Chathaláin, an Lorgain, an Cnoc Rua, Droiminn an Locha, Corr na Gaoithe agus Gort an Charnáin. Tar éis trasnú isteach i gContae an Chláir agus dul trí Dhrom an Dúdhoire agus an Lochán, chuaigh siad i bhfolach i mbothán sa Choill Dubh Uachtarach (ina aice leis an Tulach) ar feadh cúig mhí, le cabhair ó Michael Maloney, ball de Bhráithreachas Phoblacht na hÉireann (IRB). Ceilte faoi chaille dhubh, theith Ó Maoilíosa go Queenstown (Cóbh) i mí Dheireadh Fómhair 1916 agus sheol sé as sin go Learpholl. Tar éis an tAtlantach a thrasnú, shroich sé Nua-Eabhrac timpeall lár mhí na Nollag 1916.
Níor éirigh le roinnt eile na húdaráis a sheachaint. Ar fud na hÉireann, gabhadh níos mó ná 3,100 duine agus díbríodh timpeall 2,500 duine díobh i mí na Bealtaine 1916. Óglaigh as Contae na Gaillimhe ba ea cuid mhór díobh seo, a tógadh ar thraein chuig Beairic Richmond nó Cnoc an Arbhair agus ansin a seoladh chuig príosúin éagsúla sa Bhreatain. Den 1,800 nó mar sin reibiliúnach Éireannach a cuireadh sa phríosún ag campa Frongoch i ndeisceart na Breataine Bige ag tús mhí an Mheithimh, b’fhir as Gaillimh 322 díobh – an líon ba mhó as aon chontae amháin seachas Contae Bhaile Átha Cliath. Scaoileadh níos mó ná 1,100 príosúnach ón gcapa i Lúnasa, agus coinníodh an chuid eile díobh ann go dtí go gairid roimh an Nollaig. Cé gur teip mhíleata a bhí in Éirí Amach 1916, d’éirigh leis ‘fís an fhéinchinntiúcháin’ a chur i gcrích agus bhí sé ar cheann de na ‘pointí sa stair inar cuireadh síol agus go n-athraíonn an seanord go deo’.