Supporters of the Julia Morrissey Bridge campaign gathered at Galway’s new bridge to promote the proposal to name the bridge after Galway’s forgotten 1916 woman leader.
Campaign committee chairperson, Ian Ó Dalaigh, said they organised this action to highlight their ongoing campaign to honour Galway’s forgotten 1916 woman leader, Julia Morrissey.
“Galway is a city that has commemorated many republican men - including those who had Galway connections, such as Liam Mellows and Éamonn Ceannt.
“Mellows was honoured with a statue in Eyre Square in 1957, while the city’s train station was renamed Ceannt Station in 1966 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising.
“We have also named two bridges after republican men, neither of whom had any Galway connections - the Wolfe Tone Bridge, which of course is named after 1798 leader, Theobald Wolfe Tone. And O’Brien’s Bridge, which is named after William Smith O’Brien, a leader during the 1848 Young Ireland rebellion.So naming bridges after republican leaders is nothing new,” he said.
He added that what would be new would be both naming one after a woman, and/or naming one after a republican leader with Galway connections.
“With the Julia Morrissey Bridge proposal, there is an opportunity to do both. As we approach the end of the Decade of Centenaries, it would be fitting indeed if Julia was to be to finally honoured here in Galway.
“And with next March marking the 50th anniversary of her death, it would be all the more poignant. Mellows was honoured 66 years ago, and Ceannt was honoured 57 years ago - both rightly so.
“It is long past time for Galway to add Julia Morrissey’s name to the list of patriot leaders honoured here. Galway City Council have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to right an historic wrong against one of Galway’s bravest daughters. They cannot let that opportunity pass,” he concluded.
Organisers said that you can show your support for the Julia Morrissey Bridge campaign by signing the petition at change.org
