A new book which chronicles the revolutionary decade in North Galway will be launched in Tuam next month. Written by local GP Dr. Jarlath Deignan who is a member of the Old Tuam Society, the book discusses the various episodes that occurred during the pursuit of Irish freedom from a local perspective, including the Great War, Easter 1916, the War of Independence, the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the Civil War.
The region of North Galway witnessed significant events in all phases of the revolutionary period and is described by the author as a microcosm of the country as a whole.
Major events that occurred in the region are explored in detail. These include the Gallagh ambush in July 1920 when two RIC constables were killed and the subsequent sack of Tuam, the ambush at Kilroe near Headford in January 1921 and the summary execution of four men by Crown forces in retaliation, and the execution of six republican prisoners in Tuam by the Free State in 1923.
Other events, including the experience of local men fighting the Great War, the arrest of Sean MacDiarmada at an anti-recruitment rally in Tuam in 1915, and the participation of Volunteers from North Galway in the 1916 Rising, are also detailed. Lesser-known events too are chronicled; among them the boycott against Belfast goods initiated by Tuam traders and the evacuation of Crown forces from barracks in the region following the ratification of the Treaty.
Troubled Times: War and Rebellion in North Galway, 1913-23 provides a fascinating insight into a tumultuous decade and allows it to be understood in its entirety. The book launch takes place at the Ard Rí House Hotel, Tuam, on Friday 8 November at 8 pm. Dr Martin O’Donoghue, lecturer in Irish and British History at Northumbria University, is the guest speaker. All are welcome.
