Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD led a formal wreath-laying ceremony in Stranorlar yesterday to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the Drumboe Executions.
On the 14th March 1923, Charlie Daly, Daniel Enright, Timothy O’Sullivan and Séan Larkin were executed by a firing squad of ex-British army veterans at Drumboe Castle. The four men were shot in reprisal for the killing of a Free State officer, days earlier.
The events leading up to the arrest and the subsequent execution of these 4 men during the Civil War had a profound effect on communities in Donegal and elsewhere and has continued to live on in memory.
A formal laying ceremony acknowledged this event with relatives of the martyrs in attendance.
Minister Charlie McConalogue speaking at the Drumboe 100 wreath laying ceremony, Sunday 5th March
Minster McConalogue said he was honoured to speak at the commemoration: “On this weekend in particular it is vitally important that we commemorate with sensitivity and respect, as we remember the 4 men who were executed at Drumboe in March 1923, Charlie Daly, Daniel Enright and Timothy O’Sullivan from Co Kerry and Sean Larkin from Co Derry, while at the same time in Co Kerry they are also remembering a series of horrific killings which occurred at Knocknagoshel, Ballyseedy, Countess railway bridge and Bahaghs, leaving scars on those communities to the present day.”
Drumboe 100 wreath laying ceremony
Minister McConalogue said the final year of the Decade of Centenaries is perhaps the most challenging to commemorate, but the process of ethical remembering is important.
“The aim of the State centenary commemoration programme for the years from 2021 – 2023 is to ensure that this complex period in our history, including the Civil War and the Foundation of the State, is remembered appropriately, proportionately, respectfully and with sensitivity. A specific key objective is to promote a deeper understanding of the significant events that took place during this period and recognise that the shared historical experience of those years gave rise to very different narratives and memories.
“The violence that was waged as part of Ireland’s Civil War and its outcome, was an appalling human tragedy for so many Irish families. Its legacies were many and left scars on succeeding generations, unhealed for decades. Both sides of the conflict carried out brutal acts: anti-Treaty forces killed a TD and several pro-Treaty politicians and burned many homes of Free State supporters, while the government officially executed 81 anti-Treaty prisoners. Many civilians of all ages also died during this brutal period in our history. The estimated total death toll for the Civil War is between 1,500-2,000 people.
“A century on, we are in a better position to seek to explore the fullness of the history of the period, doing so with courage and a sense of inclusiveness. We have an opportunity to construct a future for all who want to call this island home, with our diverse histories and memories all respectfully taken into account.
“The process of ethical remembering, the reflections we have made throughout this Decade of Centenaries, can help all of us in our journey together, towards a shared future that is marked by inclusivity, diversity, possibility, and a sharing of memory in conditions of peace – in a diverse country of which we can all be proud.”
Minister McConalogue and Senator Mark Daly
with other relatives of Comdt Gen Charlie Daly,
Cathal McMullen
Ann Conlon
Bob Casey
