Plans advance to commemorate 100th anniversary of execution of Drumboe Martyrs

Preparations to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the execution of Drumboe Martyrs have been reported.

The news was revealed by the chairman of the Lifford-Stranorlar Municipal District, Cllr Patrick McGowan when he told colleagues at Thursday's meeting that he envisaged it could make a big impression.

The background to the commemorative event is steeped in local history.

On March 14, 1923, just six weeks before the end of the Civil War, four anti-Treaty Republicans were executed by a Free State firing squad at Drumboe, Stranorlar.

They were (above): Charles Daly (26), Knockane, Firies Co Kerry; Daniel Enwright (23), Patrick Street, Listowel, Co Kerry; Timothy O'Sullivan (23), Patrick Street, Listowel, Co Kerry and Sean Larkin (26), Ballagherty, Magherfelt, Co Derry.

The Civil War, a period, that can be described as probably one of the saddest and most tragic chapters of Irish history, witnessed many unnecessary deaths.

The irony of this period was that this time the war was against former comrades who were now for or against partition.

Some of these men had fought shoulder to shoulder through years of struggle against a common enemy, the British Army or the Black and Tans, who were now pitched in battle against each other in a war that divided families and friends in succeeding generations. 

The story goes how on the night of November 2, 1922, following a tip-off from an informer, Free State forces from Falcarragh surrounded two houses belonging to John and Frank Sharkey at Mennabul, Dunlewey, not far from Errigal mountain.

There they found Daly, Enright, O'Sullivan and Larkin along with six others. The men were arrested before being taken to Drumboe Castle, where they were held for five months. On January 18, 1923, they received their sentence from a Military Court. The four young men were sentenced to death by firing squad.

They were marched from their cell at Drumboe Castle to an improvised firing range about 300 yards up a gently sloping field beside the woods at Drumboe.

You can see the spot today thanks to the erection of a limestone Celtic high cross-style monument back in 1955.

It was at this spot that the four men were executed by a Free State firing squad and their bodies were thrown into a ready-made grave.

When their bodies were eventually removed from Drumboe in the dead of night and without telling their relatives in August 1924 their grave was never filled in and is possibly the only grave of its kind in Ireland or perhaps even in the world.

They were taken to Athlone's Custom Barracks for re-interment. The free State Army refused to officially confirm or deny the removal of any bodies until several weeks later when letters were sent to relatives of men executed during the Civil War.

The bodies of the Drumboe martyrs were eventually released on October 28, 1924, and received by family and relatives before being reinterred for a third time in their final resting places in their home counties of Derry and Kerry.

In all, approximately 4,000 lives were lost in the Civil War between June 1922 and May 1923. Officially, there were 77 executions carried out by former comrades at various sites around the country, between 17 May 1922 and May 2, 1923, and Drumboe was one such event.

The monument in Drumboe now serves as a solemn historic artefact commemorating this horrific event during the tragedy that was the Irish Civil War, and it is an addition to the built heritage and social history of the local area.

A second monument was erected on Main Street, Stranorlar. It was unveiled by a Miss Treasa McGeehin from Fintown in August 1958.

The martyrs are also remembered in many songs and poems dedicated to them including The Green Woods of Drumboe by Mountcharles man, Eamonn Monaghan and Drumboe Martyrs by Michael McGinley.

At Thursday's meeting, Cllr McGowan called for an update on the preparations the council was making for the anniversary.

"There is quite a bit of interest in this proposal. It should be an all-inclusive commemoration. I understand progress has been made finalising the details with the landowners in Drumboe. I know there were some last-minute hiccups but things are at an advanced stage now."

He added the council had also contacted interested parties to get in touch.

Cllr McGowan also referenced the recent Frances Browne Literary Festival and Red Hugh O'Donnell 450th Birthday Weekend celebrations and the amount of history in their area. He said these historic events should be nurtured and developed going forward and called on the council's community and economic development sections to get involved with plans for next year.

Cllr Gerry Crawford agreed saying the Red Hugh O'Donnell event provided not only a significant boost to the Lifford economy the weekend it was staged, but it also promoted the area on an international stage.

"It was beyond what was expected and proved a very worthwhile event.”

Cllr McGowan said it was time to recognise what they had in their own municipal district.

"There is probably more history in this small valley than in half the country. Between the Troubles in Northern Ireland and the many challenges we've had over many years, we have ignored the past. I think there is a great opportunity now for people to come together to remember the past. Things like Red Hugh O'Donnell, Frances Browne and the Drumboe Martyrs give us the challenge to open up, create dialogue and not be afraid to talk about things. They say you should remember the past but not live in it," he said.