A forgotten night at Galway Docks.

http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/8405

Jack_Sparrow (Westmeath) - Posts: 1046 - 05/04/2013 14:34:50    1361461

juniorbsubCounty: Wexford Re the 1798 rebellion it was The boys of Wexford that led the way

Let's not forget the men of the west!!

We gathered to speed the good work, boys
The true men from near and afar;
And history can tell how we routed
The redcoats through old Castlebar.

When Ireland was broken in Wexford
And looked for revenge to the West.
I give you the gallant old West, boys,
Where rallied our bravest and best
When Ireland lay broken and bleeding;
Hurrah for the men of the West!

beal (Mayo) - Posts: 1388 - 05/04/2013 21:54:48    1361786

Culann
County: Dublin
Posts: 1676

1360250 MuckrossHead
County: Donegal
Posts: 802

1356424


Apart form a love of total football Dublin & Donegal also share the distinction of having two Irish names.

Tir Conaill or the Land of Conall, comes from the Irish chieftan Conall Gulban, son of Niall of the Nine Hostages who ruled in the fifth century.

Dun na nGall or the Fort of the Foreigner originated from the many invasions by Vikings in the ninth century which led to settlement.

Both names are still in common use here & perusal of posts on HS will sometimes throw up the old battle cry Tir Conaill abu!!

Does Tír Chonaill cover the whole of Dún na nGall?? I thought Dún na nGall was made up of Inis Eoghain agus Tír Chonaill. I'm willing to stand corrected.

Your are correct Culann, However this line becomes blurry at times, as Inishowen evetually fell under the control of the powerful O'Doherty clan, who were of the Cenel Conaill blood line and loyal to O'Donnell( The O'Doherty clan deposed the McLaughlin clan of Cenel Eoghain blood ) and Inishowen was now under the overlordship of O'Donnell and technically part of Tir Conaill.

The Kingdom of Aileach history ( Donegal, Derry, Tyrone, Fermanagh ) gives a better insight into North West history and politics, as it's collapse around 1200AD basically seen Tir Conaill( O'Donnell ), Tir Eoghain( O'Neill ) and Inis Eoghain ( McLaughlin ) become seperate and distinct entities.
Fermanagh later becoming Independant ( around 1300's-1400's ) under McGuire/Maguire rule and this period also seen the O'Doherty's/Doherty clan moving from the Finn Valley region of Donegal into Inis Eoghain where they challenged the McLaughlins who were significantly weakened after their split with their kinsmen the O'Neills. This move could be seen as the moment were Donegal, Tyrone and Fermanagh took their current modern day form.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3026 - 06/04/2013 13:57:57    1361899

Beal,
You are indeed correct but I find the song 'The Men of the West' a little bit cringeworthy to tell you the truth as more to the truth would be for it to be called 'The Men of the West with the French Doing Most of the Work'.
The reason why Dublin and other counties along the Leinster Ridge hold a gripe along with pride when it comes to 1798 is that lads exclusively from the counties Dublin, Wicklow, Wexford, Carlow, Kildare and Meath....'went it alone' and were defeated heavily paying a high price for Ireland while the rest of the country did nothing.
The question always remains to counties like Cavan, Monaghan, Kerry (who for some reason just like Clonmel have a 1798 statue in the town), Clare, Donegal, Louth, Tyrone, Galway and so on......where were ye lads?....why did ye leave it all up to the boys from the Leinster Ridge?!
Its the same lads from these counties who will call the lads from the county that forever has the courage 'Jackeens'. But here in the county of 'Irelands fighting men' we understand that for those from other counties 'the way to deflect attention away from ones own counties inactivity is to try and ridicule the county that had the courage your own county and its people never had'!!

Regards,

Snufalufagus....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 06/04/2013 17:22:50    1361976

Snufalufagus County: Dublin Posts: 5813 "… 1798 is that lads exclusively from the counties Dublin, Wicklow, Wexford, Carlow, Kildare and Meath....'went it alone' and were defeated heavily paying a high price for Ireland while the rest of the country did nothing".
The story of Mayo's involvement in the 98 Rebellion along with our county's suffering in an Gorta Mor and how we led the way in the land war is well known hereabouts. On 22 August 1798, a French expedition of 1,000 men under the leadership of General Humbert landed at Kilcummin, north of Killala and close to the Ceide Fields, cradle of Celtic civilisation in Ireland thousands of years before a Viking longboat arrived at the mouth of the Liffey. Over 3,000 local Irish recruits joined the French, many armed only with pikes and pitchforks. They arrived at Castlebar to face the British garrison and with the rebels in pursuit, the Crown forces fled . Although chased for just a mile or two, the British did not stop until they got to Tuam, while some fled as far as Athlone in the panic. The event has come down in history as the "Races of Castlebar".
It all ended in tragedy at Ballinamuck, Co. Longford, on 8 September, where the French were taken prisoners of war and the Irish were slaughtered mercilessly. A wave of ruthless repression followed in Mayo. Father Andrew Conroy, parish priest of Addergoole (Lahardane) and Father Manus Sweeney of Newport were hanged for their support of the French. The 'Maid of Erin' monument was unveiled in Ballina for the centennial commemoration of the rebellion in 1898 by Maud Gonne MacBride.
The Artane Band's rendition of The Men of the West makes me swell with pride. Let's have no more of the so-called half time entertainment we had to endure at last year's All Ireland final. Now that made me cringe.
So Snuf let's not belittle or try to erase the part played by the Men of the West! It's most unfair and so unlike you to deride the part played in history by Irishmen and women in our country' struggles. The study of History is about unearthing the true story of the past. Presenting a biased version in a bullying tone is unhelpful. Snuffy's History Corner will benefit and become a more useful and credible resource if we bear this in mind.
Clearly the sobriquet "Jackeen" rankles; but you can't deny that it was well deserved. Flag waving in honour of an oppressive foreign overlord was not your finest hour. And no amount of hectoring will change that. You can't undo the past.
Hurrah for the men of the West!!...beal

beal (Mayo) - Posts: 1388 - 07/04/2013 18:18:02    1362432

beal,
I am well aware of the story of Humbert and have been to Ballinamuck Co. Longford. Its my favourite period in Irish history. Just a few points:
1. Ath Cliath was a Gaelic settlement long before a Viking boat ever sailed up the liffey and anchored at the Dubh Linn.
2. When you are a nations capital under British rule and regarded as the 'second city of the empire' you will be bound to have a fair few tens of thousands who are loyal to the crown. This is something that would not be known to rural areas. (See pics of Queens visit to Cork in 1903...."not their finest hour" you might say).
3. Yes, I am proud of the part all have played, yet some played a greater part than others, who did nothing or waited for other to come and lead them (even when the only crown forces in their area might have been a tiny RIC Barracks)! Dublin played the greatest part of all....so often left to fight and fall while the rest of the country turned their backs on a fight!
Where were these counties?.....You cannot deny their inactivity!

Regards,

Snufalufagus....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 07/04/2013 19:24:02    1362534

It's natural expect one's capital to lead the way in any people's struggle for nationhood. I am sure that the posters from the counties you mention as not having played their part (Cavan, Monaghan, Kerry Tipperary Clare, Donegal, Louth, Tyrone, Galway and so on) will remind/enlighten you as their own individual heroic exploits and sacrifices at places such as Clontibret, Yellow Ford, Benburb, Knockdoe , Ardrahan, Drogheda, Solohed, Killeshandra, etc, etc.
An agenda- led, triumphalist or gloating approach to the study of the past is narrow, misguided and can be dangerous.
Regards beal

beal (Mayo) - Posts: 1388 - 07/04/2013 20:22:26    1362606

I heard Gerry Adams say recently, its easy to judge when you were not in the position of the youth up in Derry in the 1970's. (Im not a Sinn Fein advocate, but I do understand where he is coming from to a certain extent)

Dublin were the most fighting county in the struggle for independence despite having the might of the British nation in barracks in the city.

Again, not that Snuff is always right, but he is kinda right as lots of other areas in the country could have rebelled but for fear of bigger towns British forces. Their towns had small barricks they could have taken. Dubs rebelled (with country cousins living up here to be honest), and this knowing they were always outmanned and outgunned.

Its easy to be critical of Dublin during those formative years in the creation of the Republic of Ireland; but the Dubs played their part.

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 07/04/2013 20:40:20    1362631