Description
In the century that has passed since the 1916 Rising, War of Independence and Civil War in Ireland, much as been written about Pearse and his comrades. Somewhat ignored by history are the gallant efforts of ordinary men and women in rural towns and villages who played a crucial part and paid an immeasurable price in their bid to separate Ireland from the oppression of British imperialism and to achieve an Irish republic.
Within the pages of this book, you will find first-hand accounts of those times in Newport, County Mayo and the surrounding area, thanks to the collective memory of the local community and the descendants of those involved. You can read descriptions of their incarceration, the torture they suffered and subsequent death of some as a result. This book outlines the local perspective, personal sacrifices and experiences of the time, to honour and recall the bravery of their deeds, lest they be forgotten.
Chapter 1: The Awakening
Chapter 2: A Most Formidable Opponent: Michael Kilroy
Chapter 3: When Freedom’s War Began: The War of Independence
Chapter 4: Civil War
Chapter 5: The Women of Cumann na mBan
Chapter 6: Trials and Triumphs: Individual Stories
Chapter 7: The Price People Paid: Family Stories
Chapter 8: Interviews, Conversations and First Person Accounts
Chapter 9: Songs of Resistance and Solidarity
Appendices:
A: Meeting of Nationalists, Tuam 1914: Newport Men in Attendance
B: IRA Companies in the Newport Battalion Area 1921 and 1922
C: Cumann na mBan Companies in the Area
D: Participants in the Kilmeena Ambush
E: Newport Battalion Area: Loss of Life in the War of Independence (1921) and Civil War (1922-1923)
F: Report on Strength of Irregulars in the Newport-Erris Area, November 1922
G: Internment during the Civil War
H: Documents from the Ó Móráin Papers
I: Graves of Some of the Participants in the Newport Battalion Area
J: Roadside and Other Monuments
K: Compensation Claims
L: Republican Roll of Honour
