Galway Advertiser 1974/1974_06_20/GA_20061974_E1_016.pdf 

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An Chead
1924 1974

Chath

HURRY HURRY HURRY

The 50th Anniversary of the establishment LAST T W OD A Y S O F of An Chead Chath was celebrated in Gal way last weekend. In 1924 An Chead Chath was founded at the Curragh and on May 25th of that year Dun Ui Mhaoiliosa (the Barracks at Renmore) was formally handed over to the Chead Chath. The barracks itself was built in 1880 and is an imposing struct ure in our city dominating the eastern sky line. Dun Ui Mhaoiliosa has an interesting Must end 6 p.m. Saturday June 22nd history and in the current issue of 'An Cosantoir' Comdt. P. D. O'Donnell expertly tells the whole story of the barracks and the Be Where the Bargains are gallant men who lived there. This week the Galway Advertiser is pleased to publish part of that story. For centuries before Renmore Barracks, Galway, was built in 1880, the city had been an important S H O P STREET GALWAY -- s h o p in t h e heart of g a l w a y military centre, as well as an important recruiting centre for the British Army. Well could the famous Imperialist poet, Rudyard they h a d known about the Aud, on the high seas of the Atlantic I The band of the Rangers attended Kipling write: this and the many other rallies around Galway. There were lads from Galway. Louth and Mcath, Then t h e Rising burst into tne headlines. I t s Who went to their deaths with a joke in their teeth. These lines appeared in the Graphic, (Lon course in Galway is well known, and it fizzled don, 1914, under a drawing by " Snaffles," out after a few brief engagements. Still it caused some upset in Renmore, although the feeling-- (Charles Payne), depicting a 'bayonet charge by judging from t h e newspaper reports--was that it troops of the Irish Brigade against a German was merely a brushfire.Besides it was evident trench. that the recruiting fervour and the war on the Briefly, " the fort of Galway" was sited to its importance, the people hold the west of Ireland. Until Elizabethan times whole obscuredin the dark, and and on the side generally were not however, warfare there was chieflly as much of the scattered rebels in the province. The new Lt. Coakley, An Chead among the powerful Norman lords as against blackout was complete for the vital week, and Chath, carries the battalion authority. By 1641 we note in the old manu then it was over, bar the round up. colours during the formal scripts, " a petition by Captain R. Constable, The Saturday after Easter week, the Galway Parading of the Colour a t who in 1641 went with his ship to help the fort Express said: " Ireland Ablaze; Engagements at Dun Ui Mhaoiliosa, Ren of Galway and brought to England 200 ProtesCarnmore and Oranmore." The paper did get more,' on Saturday. With tiints from Galway and Limerick,"--after the rebellion. In 1643 we note Captain A. Wellesley out a tabloid news sheet during the week with Lt. Coakley is Sgt. Farrscanty and unfactual details mostly headlining aghty and Sgt. Conroy. T h e requesting men and provisions for the fort at the ability with which the British Army was impressive military cere Galway. And (we always knew there was a ' great thirst in the west) there is extant a letter crushing the rebels in Dublin. mony was watched by dis It went on to say: " On Wednesday morning tinguished visitors, the from Stephen Lynch to Sir Robert Cecil in Lon don, concerning a " licence to transport 30 tuns six or seven motor cars left Renmore containing bands of the Western Com about 20 police under D. I. Heard, and some mili mand and An Chead Chath of beer for the garrison in Galway, under Sir tary under Captain Sir A. Armstrong and Captain played 'The Soldiers Song.' Coniers Clifford.' Apparently, a ship from Bristol Bodkin. Their mission was chiefly a reconnaisance bringing the beer to Galway was robbed at sea one. When the crossroads at Carnmore was by a "Briton," and Galway needed replacement beer, plus " 50 quarters of malt," as a necessity, reached a number of volunteers inside the stone wallfiredon them for fully half an hour. Con as "the winter was drawing near!" The date stable Hamilton received a slight bullet wound was 10 August, 1598. in the leg, and Captain Bodkin displayed great Galway apparently had been left out of the coolness, and smoked practically all through the spate of barrack building which went on in Ire fray!' land in the early 19th century, possibly because A few days later, the British forces in Galwav there were already two barracks there. These (jot an important reinforcement which would were the descendants of the fort of Galway, the have made it extremely difficult for any rebel Castle; and the Shambles Barracks in the city success there. The Express said: " Troops Lan centre. After mid-century it 'became increasingly ded: Munster Fusiliers Arrive with Machine evident that these buildings were totally unfit Guns: Galway, Thursday: The situation in Gal for troops. way assumed a still more martial appearance this In 1873 Galway was designated as the Depot morning. Early in the morning a light cruiser of the 87lh Foot, (Royal Irish Fusiliers) and the and a torpedo boat arrived in the roadstead, the 88th (Connaught Rangers) Foot. The counties of Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Lcitrim, and Sligo former having on board a companv of the Munster Fusi'iors (portion of the Irish Bricrade) in full were designated as the recruiting area for the war kit. Before noon they disembarked in three two regiments. By then it became obvious that a lighters towed into dock by a launch- After formnew barracks must be built. After much political in? into position they marched to Renmore Bar wrangling however a small number of barrack racks. A large supplv of ammunition with some buildings were erected at Renmore cast of the machine p-uns were also landed with them." city in 1880. The name was that of a headland reaching into Galwav Bay via Lougatalia, which Meanwhile the newspapers were in full cry: being translated means: the big point at the lake "Misguided Dupes; Galway Condemnation." It of the sea. So the " West Point" of Galway went on: " Mass meeting: of citizens takes action became henceforth known as Renmore Barracks. . ,, . resolutions proposed by M. Kenny and J. P. The old name was " Kinmore.' O'Malley . . . Irish troops have shed glory on the arms of the Empire . . . etc. . . . to crush the dis The Garrison Church affected fanatics." When Renmore was built no garrison church On May 1st the story was: "Military. Big was provided. Most of the men were Catholics. Haul of Booty' . . . At Lime Park (where MelThey had to march two miles to the city to Mass. lowes disbanded his men) . . . Seven motor cars To remedy this strange omission an officer of the left Renmore with Captain Bodkin for enemy Catholic religion, Lieut. Col. (later Brig.-Gen.) territory 1 Took booty of varied assortment." Later F. J. Hercey provided private funds to build the fine Garrison Church of St. Patrick we now see news said: " A large number of motors." .Then the prisoners were brought in: "Over outside the walls. His munifence is commemorated 180 prisoners now in Galway jail . . . Trial of by a double stained-glass window in the church, insurgents . . . Royal Proclamation substitutes trial as well as by a plaque. by Courtsmartial for offences hitherto tried by civil courts." News from Dublin was sparse but 1916 one item upset matrimonial plans: "Major All seemed quiet in Galway in the months Leathern, who was to have been married last before the 1916 Rising. But there was a good deal Wednesday to Miss Heard, daughter of D. I. of recruitnig going on for the Connaught Rangers. On 29th January the Galway Express headlined Heard,* has been wounded in Dublin in the the news that: ''Come Boys; Come and Join, and thigh 1 Save Your Country from the grip of the Germans," An so the Rising passed by Renmore, and it said Lieut. M. O'Leary, V.C., describing the but resumed its recruiting efforts. A newspaper item chery of little children and mothers in France said: "Clifden Hero: Lieut. Michael Lavelle, and Belgium; at a massive recruiting rally in Connaught Rangers, has been awarded the M.C. Oughterard, attended by Private Sir James O'Don- Lieut. Lavelle's brother joined the Connaught oghue, in khaki; Colonel and Mrs. Chamier and Rangers at Renmore on Tuesday, and 'brought other officers of the Connaught Rangers." This three other young fellows with him. Lieut Lavelle was followed by columns of war wounded. If only has now three brothers serving with the colours." The training of troops in Renmore for the war in

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