Category: Featured

Sack of Balbriggan Commemoration

Sunday September 20, 2020 marks 100 years since the Sack of Balbriggan and despite the challenges posed by Covid-19 restrictions Balbriggan and District Historical Society are determined that this important centenary is marked in an appropriate manner. Our plans announced at the beginning of the year included holding a school’s competition, having a historical seminar and a photographic exhibition and producing a commemorative calendar and medal and we are delighted that all of these plans have gone ahead, albeit some online.  We have been working along with other local groups and Fingal County Council in the Sack of Balbriggan Commemorations Committee to organise a major event for the weekend and while these plans had to be adapted the Council has commissioned a commemorative mural and is producing a commemorative video which will feature some of our events.

Lawless and Gibbons Families: Uppermost in our minds at this time are the families of the people who lost their lives and local families who include the Lawless and Gibbons people– this also extended to the members of the diaspora a lot of whom had firm intentions to be in Balbriggan at this time for the commemoration but whose travel plans were obviously affected by COVID-19. We remember them especially at this time

Church Service: We would like to thank Fr McNamara for facilitating our request for a Mass in memory of those who died during the Sack of Balbriggan and this will take place on Sunday at 12 o’clock. Due to Covid-19 restrictions not many can attend but everyone can join this commemoration by tuning in to the Church broadcast here

Schools Project: Preserving the memory of the events of the Sack of Balbriggan and sharing them with a new generation was one of the principal aims of our commemoration. To this end we gave a presentation on this to local schools and organised a Schools competition based on it. We are delighted that some of the competition entries will be displayed in the Our Balbriggan hub in the town over the weekend.

Jim Walsh Sack of Balbriggan talk on Youtube: We were delighted to share some of Jim’s insights in a Heritage Week talk which is available on our Youtube channel. see link here: https://youtu.be/_Gs6hfcBCMo

Local historian and founding member of our Society Jim Walsh has been doing extensive research on the Sack of Balbriggan and we were delighted to share some of his insights in a Heritage Week talk which is available on our Youtube channel.The talk begins with an introduction giving the local and historical context and continues with the aid of many images, to give a comprehensive account of the Sack of Balbriggan, based on contemporary accounts, military and RIC archives, newspaper coverage, other publications and interviews with family members. The youtube presentation which has garnered huge interest is interspersed with many images from the time as well as contemporary images from Balbriggan provided by Society Secretary Kilian Harford to give context.

Commemorative Medal: We produced a commemorative calendar featuring images from the Sack of Balbriggan and this was hugely popular. We can now announce that we have taken delivery of a limited number of beautiful commemorative medals which will be available to purchase on www.balbrigganhistory.com . The medal depicts a scene from the Sack of Balbriggan and other symbols which are clearly representative of the town and comes with a booklet containing a short history. We anticipate that this medal will be in huge demand as a memento of this important commemoration, along with the Calendar we produced earlier. Balbriggan and District Historical Society would like to thank most sincerely the Progressive Credit Union Ltd for their very generous sponsorship of our Sack of Balbriggan Commemorative Medal. This sponsorship has been of huge assistance to us in our Commemoration.

Photographic Exhibition Shopfronts: As you are walking around town this weekend keep a look out for our photographs exhibited in some shop windows. These images from the private family collection of Jim Glennon had been restored, digitised and printed, with help from Fingal County Council Community Funding, for a photographic exhibition we had planned in the Bracken Court Hotel, but this is deferred due to Covid-19 restrictions. We exhibited some of the images in Bremore Castle and you will be able to see Brian Howley and May McKeon speaking about them in the Fingal County Council Commemorative video.  You will also notice a dramatic art installation, commemorating the Sack of Balbriggan, covering the gable of the Central Bar by the Bracken River. This mural was commissioned by Fingal County Council Arts Office in partnership with and on behalf of the Sack of Balbriggan Commemorations Committee of which we are part. Check it out as this dramatic mural is gradually created during the week.

Seminar on Sack of Balbriggan: We are delighted to welcome Diarmaid Ferriter as our keynote speaker for our Sack of Balbriggan Seminar on Saturday. While sadly we will not be able to have a live audience, all the seminar talks will be made available on our Youtube channel so you can watch them in the comfort and safety of your home.  The Seminar will also feature a talk by our own Jim Walsh which will focus on the key events of the 20th of September. Jim Glennon former TD and rugby player will give a personal family account of the time. Jim’s grandfather was the owner of the Gladstone Inn and his photographs from the time have formed the basis of our calendar and photographic exhibition. We are delighted to also have visiting speaker Jim Herlihy whose talk will concentrate on the RIC perspective on the events.  Our regular speaker and long term member Frank Whearity will speak about a particular family and also some of the buildings on Clonard Street then and now. A link to all the talks will be made available on our website www.balbrigganhistory.com

Speaking about the Commemoration Brian Howley, Chairperson of Balbriggan & District Historical Society said “The Balbriggan & District Historical Society in conjunction with other local groups and Fingal County Council had comprehensive plans in place for the Commemoration but due to COVID-19 restrictions major public events could not go ahead. However as a Society we were determined to ensure that the centenary of the Sack of Balbriggan still received a fitting, appropriate and meaningful commemoration. We have adapted our plans and our online lectures will bring the commemoration to people in their homes and will be available on into the future as a legacy and a resource for research and education. The Commemorative Medal and Calendar will be fitting mementos of the year and we hope our engagement with the schools will foster a lifelong enthusiasm for history among some of the students.’

Balbriggan and District Historical Society would like to take this opportunity to thank all our members and friends who have supported us down through the years by attending our talks and events. We hope you are keeping well and healthy in these tough times and look forward to when we will be able to see you in person at our events in the future. In the meantime we hope you will be able to enjoy our online content and be sure to get some assistance if you can’t access Youtube! The Society can be contacted at balbrigganhistsoc@gmail.com or on our website www.balbrigganhistory.com and we are also on Social media.

Sack of Balbriggan Commemoration Lecture

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Balbriggan & District Historical Society have embraced technology to present their Heritage Week talk on The Sack of Balbriggan 1920 by local historian Jim Walsh via Youtube.
Jim a retired Librarian and founding member of the Society draws on a lifetime of research and some newly available material to present a fascinating talk which will be of huge interest to history enthusiasts as well as being very accessible to the general public.
The talk begins with an introduction giving the local and historical context of the time and continues with the aid of many images, to give a comprehensive account of the Sack of Balbriggan, based on contemporary accounts, military and RIC archives, newspaper coverage, other publications and interviews with family members.
The Youtube presentation is interspersed with many images from the time as well as contemporary images from Balbriggan provided by Society Secretary Kilian Harford to give context.
The centenary of the Sack of Balbriggan by the Black and Tans in 1920 takes place on September 20th and as part of the Covid-19 restricted Commemoration the Society has a full seminar on the subject planned including a lecture from Diarmaid Ferriter, which will also be made available online.
Speaking about this new venture into virtual content a spokesperson for the Society said “While we are very disappointed like everyone else that we haven’t been able to present our usual programme of talks to our loyal members and supporters in Balbriggan arguably these new challenges have presented an opportunity to reach a much bigger audience. We are delighted to be able to connect again with our friends in Balbriggan who we have missed this year and we think the availability of this lecture online will be of huge interest to Balbriggan people abroad as well as locally and nationally.”
 
We would like to thank Eric Campbell for producing the video in such a fantastic professional manner.
 
 

A History of Balbriggan Youtube video with Brian Howley

A History of Balbriggan
Listen to our Chairperson Brian Howley as he gives a tour of Balbriggan and an introduction to its rich history. Learn about the name Baile Brigín, Sinéad De Valera, the harbour and lighthouse, the coming of the railway, the rich hosiery tradition including Smyth & Co and ‘Balbriggans’ and of course the tragic story of the Sack of Balbriggan in 1920.  See video here: A History of Balbriggan

The Sack of Balbriggan 1920

September 2020 is a very significant date in Balbriggan History as it marks 100 years since the Sack of Balbriggan. Balbriggan & District Historical Society in conjunction with other local groups and Fingal County Council had comprehensive plans in place to commemorate this 100 year anniversary with public events in September.

Due to COVID 19 government restrictions at the time of writing it is still not clear what level of commemoration can take place but it is clearly our intention to ensure that this does receive a fitting, appropriate and meaningful commemoration even if that means that it, like so many other things, has to be adjusted or delayed.

In the meantime the following is an account of the Sack of Balbriggan for those who don’t know about this event. A fuller account can be found in our publication Balbriggan a History for the Millennium

The Sack of Balbriggan September 1920

The tragic events of the sack of Balbriggan by Black And Tans have left an unforgettable memory on the town. Peter Burke the Head Constable of the R.I.C was accompanied by his brother William a Sgt and they entered Smyth’s pub (now the Millrace Pub) for a drink. There are confusing accounts of what transpired there but shortly afterwards Peter Burke was shot dead and his brother William was seriously wounded. 

When word reached Gormanston Camp where the Black and Tans were stationed and a large body of them arrived in 2/3 lorries later firing indiscriminately in the streets. They stationed their vehicles outside the barracks on Bridge St (now the home of Ashling dry cleaners). They also burnt several houses and many families spent several nights sleeping outdoors in fear for their lives. 

They looted the business of John Derham (a local Town Commissioner) now the Medical Centre on corner of  Bridge St and Clonard St. and they burned several local businesses and several houses including 8 cottages on Clonard St (Known locally as Sinn Féin Alley).

Several licensed premises were also destroyed including Landy’s and the Gladstone Inn (now Harvest Pub and Milestone Inn). The Black and Tans were set on destroying the premises of Smyth and Co on Railway St however they burned down another factory,  

Balbriggan Sea Mills, built by the English Company, Deeds Templar. Only the factory chimney remains. 

Several locals were dragged into the barracks for questioning and 2 were murdered, Seamus Lawless a local Barber, and Sean Gibbons a dairy farmer. The plaque on Bridge St commemorates them. Both were buried in Balscadden cemetery. Peter Burke was buried in Glenamaddy,Co Galway.

Fulham Terrace has been named in honour of the bravery of Dr Fulham on the night along with the names given to Lawless and Gibbons Terrace in the town.

You can download our Sack of Balbriggan Memorial Calendar here Calendar 2020 BHS (9)

Balbriggan is the Place to be in 2020!

Balbriggan is the Place to be in September 2020

The centenary of the Sack of Balbriggan by the Black and Tans in September 1920 takes place next year and Balbriggan & District Historical Society is working to commemorate this major historic
event in an appropriate and inclusive manner.

This critically important part of our town’s history involved the shooting dead of one RIC member,
Peter Burke, and the wounding of another, which prompted the subsequent havoc wreaked on the
town and its inhabitants by the Black and Tans. Numerous houses, a factory and several business
premises in the town were destroyed as a result, and hundreds of people were forced to sleep
outdoors for several nights in fear of their lives.
The night of terror on 20th September culminated in the brutal murder of two local men, James
Lawless and John Gibbons by the Black and Tans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkWhvTCpwWM 
Building on contacts that the Society has forged with local schools, we plan to work with them in
early 2020, providing them with information regarding the Sack, and encouraging enthusiastic
involvement from all.
In the weeks leading up to September 2020, Sack-related historical walks of the town will be
organised.
In co-operation with local businesses and Fingal County Council, we intend to organise a
photographic exhibition to be displayed in the streets and in local businesses throughout the town.

Weekend Commemoration, 19th & 20th September 2020

A full-day seminar will take place in the Bracken Court Hotel on Saturday, 19th September,
involving a series of talks related to the Sack of Balbriggan and its aftermath, including events from
the perspective of the RIC. We hope to have an exhibition of contemporary media reports of the
events, together with other memorabilia relating to the Sack.
On Sunday, 20th September, a religious service will be held, followed by a parade and a wreath-
laying ceremony at the Lawless and Gibbons plaque on Bridge Street – an opportunity for everyone to get involved.
In addition, we plan to publish a book on the Sack of Balbriggan, and the unveiling of a
commemorative memorial in the town is another idea that is gaining momentum.
Watch out for our Sack of Balbriggan commemorative medals and calendars which will be
available for sale from this November (2019).
Balbriggan &Distri ct Historical Society can be contacted at balbrigganhistsoc@gmail.com.

The above release was issued to the Press on Monday September 16th 2019

Balbriggan: People and Places 1893 Photographic Exhibition October 19th & 20th

Balbriggan & District Historical Society was very proud to host a unique photographic exhibition of the people and places of Balbriggan taken in the year of 1893.
In 2016, the Society acquired a collection of photographs taken by Mr. Lewis Whyte, amateur photographer and Managing Director at Smyco factory on Railway Street. Many of the photographs were taken on a single day and capture the people and familiar places of our beloved town.
Since acquiring these photographs we have got them digitised and a selection of them printed. We feel that the conservation and exhibition of these albums is an important contribution by our Society to the cultural heritage of our town. To this end we held an exhibition in the Bracken Court Hotel on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th October and were truly delighted to see so many of you there. Many people shared memories of the people and places featured in the photographs, as they marvelled at the wonderful transformation of the photographs from the tiny originals to the enhanced prints on display.The exhibition was launched on Friday the 19th October, and continued on Saturday, 20th between 12 and 6 p.m.

Looking forward to seeing you there and be sure to spread the word about this must see exhibition.

A Celebration of the life of Pte. Terence Joseph McMahon 1944-1997

On Saturday July 15th 2017 Balbriggan & District Historical Society hosted a Commemoration in honour of Pte. Terence Mc Mahon from Balbriggan who took part in the Siege of Jadotville in the Congo in 1961 at the age of just 16. The heroic efforts of the 155 soldiers of A Company 35th Battalion UN forces who held out against an opposition force of more than 3000 has been used as a case study for foreign armies but has only recently been acknowledged at home.

The really moving occasion, attended by a large crowd, commenced with a Commemorative Mass at St. Peter & Paul’s Church celebrated by Fr. Eugene Taaffe PP assisted by Fr. Anthony Gill and Fr. Liam Cuffe, son of Jadotville veteran Sgt Geoffrey Cuffe. with Irish United Nations Veterans Association Colour party in attendance. After Mass there was a parade to George’s Square where a Commemorative Plaque was unveiled by Mayor of Fingal Cllr Mary McCamley with Irish Defence Forces in attendance.

May McKeon spoke about her own memories of Terry as a boy growing up in Balbriggan and of her amazement when she heard the story of his involvement at Jadotville from his brother Anthony. When Terry returned home he never spoke about these events as they were ordered not to and even his own family didn’t know of his heroic past until recent years. Anthony praised the work of Jadotville Veteran John Gorman in campaigning to get their story told and Cmmt Leo Quinlan, son of Cmmt Pat Quinlan who commanded the troops at Jadotville gave an excellent talk on the Siege and on the campaign for recognition. It was poignant that among the many Defence Forces and UN veterans in attendance was Mick Dunne who himself was Veteran of Jadotville. Balbriggan & District Historical Society would particularly thank George Kirwan from the United Nations Veterans Association who spoke on the day, for all his help leading up to the event.

Before unveiling the plaque, Mayor of Fingal Mary McCamley said “It’s fitting that we have come together today to remember Terry, here in George’s Square where he was born and raised. It’s so important that we remember the contribution of Irish soldiers who have served with UN missions across the world.”
This was a fitting tribute to Terence and an important day for his native Balbriggan and his extended family, particularly his brothers John and Anthony and sister Julia, who travelled from America for the occasion. Balbriggan & District Historical Society would like to thank everyone, too numerous to mention who attended and assisted on the day to make this such a great occasion and acknowledge the generous support for this project from Fingal County Council and Heritage Officer Gerry Clabby.

For further information check out the film The Siege of Jadotville on Netflix which tells the story. Or check out the many links on YouTube that show actual footage or interviews in relation to the Siege.

Some samples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU7P7-zxEMI

Irish Troops in the Congo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9ZAAxeXk8s&t=226s
The Siege of Jadotville Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_JHsiQTTmg