About This Project
One hundred years on from the famous Tourmakeady Ambush (Luíochán Thuar Mhic Éadaigh), mounted by the South Mayo Brigade of the IRA on the 3rd of May 1921, the communities from which the Brigade were drawn, are remembering that much talked about event in the famous War of Independence in Ireland.
Also known as the ‘Tan War’, poorly armed and barely trained volunteers across the country had taken up arms to attack British Crown Forces in a bid to rid the country of the tyranny of colonial oppression. The Tourmakeady Ambush force was made up of Volunteers drawn from the South Mayo Batallions of Cross, Kilmaine, Ballinrobe, Shrah, Clonbur/Thomastown and Clooncastle/Hollymount. They were under the command of General Tom Maguire of Cross, his Adjutant Michael O’Brien of Kildun, the Neale and Commandant Tom Lally of Shrah. In the village of Tourmakeady, the volunteers attacked a convoy of two vehicles containing RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) and support military known as the Black and Tans, (owing to the uniforms they wore), who were delivering supplies to the RIC Barracks of Derrypark, about 7 miles south of the village.
Activities for the Centenary
On the 3rd of May, 2021, a Committee of interested and committed volunteers from the catchment area will launch a ‘Year of Commemoration’ and will announce their series of commemorative initiatives and events to take place over the following twelve months, up to May 2022.
Underpinning the planning, organisation and delivery of these initiatives will be the Committee’s agreed core mission and policy, which is summarised as;
collecting, preserving and curating relevant material, artefacts and folklore and making these available as widely as possible through hard copy and on-line media and locally located commemorative art work and related displays
marking and recognising the difficulties, bravery, sacrifices, tragedies and sadness of those times
helping present and future generations to understand and interpret those events and the people involved with clarity, accuracy and context
Given what happened subsequently with the outbreak of Civil War, the Committee are adamant that this ‘Centenary Year of Commemoration’ will be neutral and respectful of all sides and opinions and free of prejudice or party politics.
The initiatives in train to date include;
Development of an on-line repository of memorabilia, photography, documents, documentary material, drone footage,
Composition of musical pieces put to existing poetry,
Writing and art competitions in the schools
Delivery of a series of webinars by authors and historians
Supporting the relatives and families to remember and pay tribute to those who died inthe ambush and aftermath
Erecting commemorative plaques, monuments and signage and
Publication of a book to mirror the on-line Repository of the stories, photography, documents etc.
The Committee are endeavouring to ensure maximum inclusivity and the widest reach possible to all interested parties both locally and around the world, particularly among the Diaspora” said Committee Chair, Tomás Ó hÉanachán of Tourmakeady.
We are now issuing a call for support in the form of ideas, volunteers, memorabilia, stories and, of course much needed funds. Contact us at tourmakeadyambush@gmail.com or donate to our fundraising campaign by clicking the below button.