By Sean Collins
In Dooley Gate at Easter-time, as well as Easter Eggs from Agnes Mooney in the Beehive, the mass parade to the monument on the Marsh Road was almost compulsory.
After 11 o’clock mass in St. Peters, the parade would leave West St, with the Drogheda Brass and Reed Band leading the way, followed by a colour party of I.R.A. veterans with Paddy Martin carrying the tricolour and Harry Fairtlough , Peter Finglas, Bob Byrne, among others shouldering their guns.
The commemoration ceremony was always well attended and organised for many years – before political parties and other national organisations took it over – by Larry Grogan and his family who came from the Mornington Road. Larry was a lifelong republican and his name is now on the monument.
The limestone Celtic cross was made by Moss Stonemasons of James St. Drogheda. It was erected in 1929 in memory of Alderman Tom Halpin, a native of Drogheda, and Sean Moran of Enniscorthy who were brutally murdered on the site by persons unknown, the official report said, in the early hours of Ash Wednesday 9th February 1921.
Halpin was a Sinn Fein Alderman on Drogheda Corporation and Moran was a member of the I.R.A. The monument was funded by public subscription and unveiled by Charles Murphy T.D. from Dublin, accompanied by the Mayor and members of the Drogheda Corporation.
The monument also had the names of Liam Leech and Tim Flanagan, two other local men who had died during the revolutionary period. The parade on the day was fronted by the Drogheda Foresters Banner, Halpin was a member of the Foresters. All the local organisations marched behind the banner, particularly representatives of the various G.A.A clubs in the town.
In addressing the gathering in 1929, Mr. John Halpin [Tom’s Father] said he remembered “coming to the site eight years before to find his dead son, it was the saddest day of his life. But this day was a very happy one as the townspeople had turned out to remember these young men who had given their lives for Dark Rosaleen.”
In 1966, a large parade to the monument celebrated the golden jubilee of the 1916 Easter Rising.
The monument inscription reads:
I gcuimhne díl na sair-fear Tomas Ó h-Ailpin & An Caiptín S. Ó Móráin a dunmharbhuigead le saighdiúirí d’arm Sásana ar an 9adh Feabhra ’21. An Caiptín S. Ó Flannagáin a thuit a troid ar an 29adh Bealtaine ’22. F’ O Líam Ó Laodhóg ar an 29adh Meithimh ’22 a fuair bas d’en 9adh briogaid i lugmaid teas i seirbhis na hEireann. Ar deas-laimh Dé go raibh a n-anamna! [Moss]
Later added:
An Ceannphort P. Ó Mainnín, An Caiptín Pádraig Ó Cuanaigh, An Caiptín Bearnárd Ó Dalaigh. National Graves Assoc.
Translation:
In loving memory of the heroic men Thomas Halpin and Captain S. Moran who were murdered by soldiers of the British Army on the 9th of February 1921.Captain S. Flanagan who died in combat on the 29th May 1922. [Sec Ldr] Liam Leech who died on the 29th June 1922, a member of the 9th Brigade of South Louth, in the service of Ireland. May their souls be at God‘s right hand.
Captain James Flanagan, Magdalene Street, Drogheda, one of the irregular I.R.A. garrison stationed at Millmount Barracks was shot at Gormanston Train Station by the R.I.C.
A marble plaque marks the location at Pitcher Hill, Drogheda where Liam Leech was shot by Free State troops.
Barney Daly of the Dublin Brigade [Anti-Treaty] who was born in Sampson’s Lane was abducted by armed men in O’Neills Public House in Suffolk St. in Dublin where he worked. His body was found near Kinsealy in North County Dublin.
Captain Patrick Cooney, a native of Monasterboice, who is also named on the Marsh Road monument was one of four Anti-Treaty I.R.A. members killed during a raid in Bantry, Co Cork on 30 August 1922. He was buried locally in Co Cork.
Commandant Patrick Mannion from Co Mayo took the Anti-Treaty side in the Civil War when he was attached to the Louth Brigade, 1st Eastern Division, I.R.A. based at Millmount Barracks. He was killed on 17 September 1922 following an attack on the Free State Army H.Q. at Westland Row, Dublin.
Sadly three other young local men who died in this troubled period are not commemorated on any local public monument.
Michael Woods aged 19yrs of Nuns Walk, Drogheda while serving in the National Army was killed in Balineen in Co.Cork on 2nd November 1922.
Patrick Breen aged 19yrs of Windmill Rd, Drogheda , while serving in the National Army was killed in Kildorrey Co.Cork on the 18th August 1922.
Sylvester Heeney aged 19yrs , of Dillonstown Dunleer an Anti-Treaty volunteer, was courtmartialed and executed by firing squad in Kildare, on 8th January 1923.
Memories of sad times when so many young people died serving the causes they believed in.
