By Dan Walsh at Ballymurn
Focus on the 225th anniversary commemorations of the 1798 Rebellion switched to Ballymurn today (Sunday) where wreath laying and commemoration in words and song took place at memorials around the village.
St. Colman’s Pipe Band, Ballindaggin, first led a march, accompanied by a banner carried by Wesley and Saoirse Courtney and Father Murphy (Peter Bishop) on horseback to Kilmallock Cemetery where Sean Colfer laid a wreath on the Father Tomas Clince/John Hay monument.
Fr. Jim Finn, P.P., Ballymurn, and Rev. Canon Nicola Halford, Rector of the Enniscorthy and Monart Union of Parishes gave a blessing.
Marie Hayes recited ‘Requiem for the Croppies’ by Seamus Heaney, Marguerite Scallan recited Boolavogue, Breda Redmond lowered the flag over the grave of John Hay. A minute’s silence followed. Martina Boylan laid a wreath on John Hay’s grave.
From Kilmallock the parade headed back to Ballymurn village and on to the Ballinkeele monument outside the boundary of the Ballinkeele Estate that was owned by the Hay family until 1826. King James II is reputed to have stayed there on his way to France after the Battle of the Boyne 1690. Since 1826 the Maher family owned the estate. William Smith O’Brien, John Blake Dillon and Thomas Francis Maher of the Young Irelanders stayed there in 1848.
Here John Ennis sang The Croppy Boy and The Ferns Exile, Mog O’Connor planted the Tree of Liberty, and Mary Bishop laid a laurel wreath at the 1798 stone. There were further contributions from Rev. Fr. Jim Finn and folklorist, Michael Fortune, who spoke about 1798 and its importance in ballad and verse.
The attendance included Minister James Browne and local Cllrs Willie Kavanagh and Oliver Walsh.
Afterwards, it was back to Ballymurn Hall where there were refreshments for all, and as soon as the kettles boiled, like at Killanne a few hours earlier, the heavens opened and a downpour ensued!
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