A CIVIL War commemoration, organised by the North Tipperary Republican Monument Committee, was held in Pallas Graveyard Rathcabbin on Friday in remembrance of a local man who died during the conflict.
Séan Moylan grew up in Gurteen, Rathcabbin, and joined the anti-treaty side during the Civil War. He died in Curragh Military Hospital after suffering terrible conditions in Maryborough Prison and was buried in Pallas Graveyard, Rathcabbin.
About forty people stood around Seán’s headstone on Friday, with eleven of his descendants among their number. On a lovely summer’s evening, surrounded by the pleasant green fields, everyone was welcomed to the occasion by Patrick Hackett, Chairperson of the North Tipperary Republican Monument Committee.
One of the descendants, John Shelley, placed a wreath, on behalf of the Moylan family, at the headstone. Jimmy Donohoe led a Decade of the Rosary, and Frank Shelley read a letter from Seán to his mother when he was in Maryborough Prison.
“Dear Mother,” the letter read, “I received your letter and tobacco…We hear mass every Sunday and Confession is heard as required…We have 900 prisoners here at the moment…Tell Aunt Mary to send me potato bread.”
Gerry O’Brien, a singer and guitarist from Nenagh, then sang a powerful rendition of “Skibbereen”.
Cllr John Carroll from Birr spoke about Seán’s life. He said it was a privilege to have the opportunity to “stand with you here this evening and celebrate the life of Seán Moylan and recognise the sacrifices he made because of his love and wish for Ireland’s freedom. Seán was born just a short distance from this holy and sacred spot in the townland of Gurteen. Known to his family as John but referred to as Seán by his fellow soldiers, Seán was born on June 20th 1898 and died on June 12th 1923 just eight days short of his 25th birthday. He was so young but there was so much living in that short life. He had one brother Michael who was older then him and was also an active committed Volunteer and he had five sisters Katie, Sarah, Bridget, Mary Ann and Margaret (Gretta), two of whom died in infancy. He suffered some ill health as a child with typhoid fever and later diphtheria for which he spent a spell in Birr hospital, but he made a full recovery to become a strong, robust, young man.
“It’s believed Seán joined the Volunteers in early 1918 shortly after Felix Cronin formed a Company in Lorrha around July/August of the previous year. Numbers were small at the outset but grew rapidly with the threat of conscription late that year, 1917, with up to 120 men on the roll by February 1918. As the conscription threat passed these numbers reduced down to 45 men, the great majority in their late teens or twenties. All of those remained steadfast from the middle of 1918, including the Moylan brothers and stayed with the Company until the British left the Area in 1922.
“There had been a Company of Volunteers in Lorrha in 1914 but went out of existence after a short while due probably to the “split” in the movement when the majority appeared to have sided with Redmond. The Company formed in 1917 were attached to the 4th Battalion, No. 1 North Tipperary Brigade. At the end of 1918 the Lorrha Company Area was incorporated into the Second Offaly Brigade. This was not welcomed by all Volunteers, as we can see by the submission made by Martin Needham to the Bureau of Military History in 1955. However, Seán was now a Volunteer in D Company (Rathcabbin), 4th Battalion (Birr) of Offaly No. 2 Brigade. That transfer from jurisdiction of North Tipperary Brigade to Offaly No. 2 Brigade probably explains why Seán is included in both Roles of Honour.
“Seán worked as a postman and later with North Tipperary County Council while active as a Volunteer. When a flying Column was established it was Seán who was selected or volunteered. This was a small group who gave up their employment to go on full time Active Service, setting up military operations, giving assistance when neighbouring units needed support, either personnel or logistics, and getting a high level of training for military combat.”
Cllr Carroll said that after the ceasefire Seán joined the anti-treaty side “and was called to take up duty in Crinkle Barracks under Sean Glennon as OC when the IRA took control following the evacuation of the British Army. The anti-treatyites remained in control of the Barracks from Spring 1922 until July 11th 1922. Then in the face of the advancing Free State Army they decided to withdraw and burn the Barracks to hinder it becoming a fortress for the Free State Army in what they saw as an ongoing campaign where their fortunes could change.
“On August 1st Sean and some fellow soldiers were captured after an incident in Borrisokane and interned in the E wing of Portlaoise Prison then called Maryborough. In April/May 1923 Seán was complaining of a very sore throat while in E wing. E wing is four storeys high with 46 cells on each floor and was capable of holding 184 prisoners, but we know from his letter to his mother that it was holding about 900 prisoners. It was obviously ferociously overcrowded. Conditions were extremely poor, there was a hostile atmosphere, and non existent health care.
“It was in this environment with very poor conditions that Seán’s health deteriorated and he was eventually moved to B wing for medical attention. The septic throat had now deteriorated to the extent that before leaving Maryborough his throat had ruptured nastily. He spent about four days in B wing before being moved to the Curragh Military Hospital on June 5th before dying on June 12th. The authorities attributed his death to cardiac arrest while suffering from meningitis. His fellow soldiers believed the cause of death was in fact from pure neglect by the authorities towards his septic throat, which led to septicemia.
“In conclusion I wish to recognise the tremendous work done by Patrick Hackett in his book “In Bloody Protest” in recording the history of Seán and the Volunteers of North Tipperary who made the supreme sacrifice in the cause of Irish Freedom,” said Cllr Carroll.
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW