Kilbarrack Cemetery, Bayside - Reilig Chill Bharróg

Apologies for the gap in posting. But we haven’t gone away you know! I dropped into the cemetery today and laid some lilies from my own garden on the graves of the three IRA Volunteers who died in action - Dan Head (May 1921), Thomas Wall (July 1922) and Brian Mac Néill (September 1922) and on the grave of father and son John and Charles Lyons who fought in the GPO in 1916. Good to see also that the gates of the cemetery have been repaired by Fingal County Council, as we requested, with the broken piers restored and gates put back in place.

I was appalled to see the state of the graveyard entrance today. The damage was reported to me by local people yesterday and I visited today. I am presuming some vehicle struck it. I will be contacting Fingal County Council now to ensure that rebuilding and repair is undertaken as soon as possible.

Seán Flood is buried in the family grave, marked with a fine high granite cross. He was a senior IRA officer operating in Britain and brother of Frank Flood who was executed in Mountjoy Jail in 1921. Seán, Frank and Kevin Barry were all members of the Dublin Brigade’s 1st Battalion based in the North-West inner city. This photo shows a group of Irish political prisoners released from Peterhead Prison in Scotland in 1926. Seán is in the back row, the last one on the right. He died three years after this photo was taken. Thanks to the Peterhead Commemoration Group and the Phoenix Historical Society (Cork) for bringing it to our attention. (For full list of names in photo see Phoenix Historical Society post).

A new song about Brian Mac Néill, IRA officer who was killed by Free State forces, along with five of his comrades, in Co. Sligo in September 1922. Brian is buried in Kilbarrack Cemetery. Well done Fiach Moriarty.

The Death Of MacNeill by Fiach Moriarty Stream and Save The Death Of MacNeill - Distributed by DistroKid

Eoin Mac Néill and Partition

One hundred years ago this month Eoin Mac Néill, probably the most well known historical figure laid to rest in Kilbarrack Cemetery, was at the centre of a major political storm. He was the Free State representative on the Boundary Commission set up under the Treaty and which, according to Michael Collins, was going to transfer large nationalist areas of Northern Ireland Ireland to the Free State.

On the Commission Mac Néill was up against the British appointed chairman and the Unionist government appointee. It is generally agreed by historians that he was weak and ineffective. He failed to object when the draft Commission report proposed to make minimal changes to the border and even to transfer some Free State areas to the North. The report was leaked to a British newspaper in November 1925 and in the uproar Mac Néill had to resign from the Cabinet.

Ten years before the Boundary Commission collapse, Mac Néill, as president of the Irish Volunteers, published a pamphlet called ‘Shall Ireland be Divided?’ in which he said: “I urge the Irish people to permit no surrender on the partition question.”

Mac Néill himself did the opposite to his own advice. And his former Cabinet colleagues, after the Commission collapsed, did a financial deal with the British government in London which left the Border as it was and effectively abandoned nationalists in the Six Counties.

Eoin’s son Brian opposed the Treaty and Partition. He was one of six IRA volunteers killed after their capture by Free State forces in the mountains of Co. Sligo in September 1922. Father and son lie in the same grave in Kilbarrack Cemetery.

This week’s Northside People has a nice feature on the great golfer Willie Nolan. He is buried in Kilbarrack Cemetery with his father Michael who was an Irish Citizen Army volunteer and took part in the 1916 Rising.

A nice tour today in the cemetery - between the rain showers! - with the folks from Baldoyle Men’s Shed and Raheny Men’s Shed. Lots of interest, questions and chat. If anyone would like to book a tour you can either message us or e.mail [email protected] to arrange.

Tom Wall, of the Four Courts garrison killed in action against the Free State Army 1922, remembered today by the Friends of Kilbarrack.

Flowers were laid this morning on the grave of Volunteer Tom Wall, Dublin Brigade, IRA, who was killed in the Free State attack on the Four Courts in 1922. Fair sé bás ar son na Saoirse.