Existing Memorials

Memorials to International Brigade Volunteers in Ireland

Dublin. Plaque in Liberty Hall, Eden Quay, Dublin to Irish Volunteers. Erected by Irish Congress of TUs; Dublin Council of TUs, 5 May 1991

County Kerry. Plaque on Morley's Bridge, Kilgarvan, County Kerry to Michael Lehane. Erected by the Killarney Repub. Graves Ass., 7 May 1989

County Mayo. Memorial on Dooega Achill Island, County Mayo to Thomas Patten, killed December 1936. Financed locally and from USA, 28 October 1984

Waterford. Waterford glass plaques in ATGWU Hall, Keyser Street to volunteers from Waterford, Ireland. Erected by Waterford Council of Trades Unions, 1 May 1994.

There are four main memorials in Ireland to those who fought and died in Spain. In Dublin a plaque at the entrance to Liberty Hall on Eden Quay lists the names of all those who died, I have visited this memorial several times. On May 1st, 1994, Waterford honoured its participants in the War. In an event organised by Waterford Council of Trade Unions, Peter O’Connor unveiled a plaque at the A.T.G.W.U. building, Keyser Street, bearing the names of the ten Waterford men who fought in the Connolly Column.

A memorial sits on Dooega, Achill Island to Tommy Patten the first Irish causality. It was unveiled in 1987 and veteran Brigaders Joe Monks, Bob Doyle, Peter O’Connor and Michael O’Riordan, attended. Another memorial stands at Morley’s Bridge at Kilgaraven.

The only memorial in Belfast that I am aware of that lists the names of volunteers killed in Spain, is in the Short Strand district. The I.R.A. memorial unveiled by Gerry Adams, M.P., on June 25th, 1995, lists among its 19 names Liam Tumilson and Jim Straney both of whom had been I.R.A. Volunteers before leaving to fight in Spain.

I myself hope in the near future to have a plaque erected listing the names of all six Ballymacarrett Volunteers.

Ciaran Crossey, Belfast Spanish Civil War Project, on the Irish Memorials