A century after it was composed, a ballad about a Galway IRA volunteer murdered by British Crown Forces during the War of Independence, has been formally performed and recorded.
‘The Ballad of Michael Hoade’ was composed by Tommy Farrell of Carraun, near Belclare, County Galway in the early 1920s. It recounts the story of Michael Hoade, a Caherlistrane shopkeeper, who was killed by British Crown Forces on January 22 1921.
The ballad was recorded just before Christmas at Keane’s, Caherlistrane, by Rosaline Lardner (vocals ), Michael Cully (accordion ), Mary Jo Fitzpatrick (keyboard ), and Andrew Newland (pipes and whistle ). A short documentary about the killing of Hoade, the story of the song, and its performance, was made by the Galway City Museum.
With the 101st anniversary of the killing taking place this weekend, all involved in the preservation and revival of the ballad are keen for it to get wider exposure.
A killing in Ballintleva
Michael Hoade was killed by Crown Forces at his home in Ballintleva. It was claimed that he was shot while fleeing arrest. However, the medical examination of his body found he was shot in the chest, not from behind, so it is likely he was the victim of an extra judicial killing - not uncommon at the time.
Tommy Farrell was in his early twenties when Hoade was killed. It is likely he composed the ballad, which contains much detail about Hoade’s death and funeral, soon after the incident. Farrell died in 1982, but his ballad has survived in local memory thanks to his neighbours, the Lardners.
Last year, Brendan McGowan, the Galway City Museum Education and Outreach Officer, began working with the Lardners to record and preserve the ballad, resulting in the project and accompanying short film.
The project has been funded by the Galway City Council and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, under the Decade of Centenaries Programme. The lyrics and musical notation for ‘The Ballad of Michael Hoade’ can be downloaded via https://www.galwaycitymuseum.ie/blog/the-ballad-of-michael-hoade.
