Books published which listed the dead of War of Independence and Civil War

The Decade of Commemoration has witnessed the publishing of a number of very interesting books on our recent history. County Councils throughout the Republic have done an excellent job in highlighting the stories which inform us of the revolutionary years and a number of historians have earned our admiration and respect for works they published. What had been absent for decades since the ending of the War of Independence and the Civil War were the life details of those men and women who played a part, prominent or otherwise, in the fight for National freedom. The late Padraig O’Farrell first published his “Whose Who in the Irish War of Independence 1916-1921” in 1980 and followed it up with a revised edition entitled “Whose Who in the War of Independence and Civil War 1916-1923” seventeen years later. The Last Post first published in 1932 and since republished in enlarged editions several times detailed the stories of Irish Republican dead from 1916. In more recent times, Ray Bateson has published “They died by Pearse’s side”, “Memorials of the Easter Rising” , “Deansgrange Cemetery and Easter Rising” and “The Rising Dead RIC and DMP”. His published works are a wonderful mine of information and first class works of reference. Closer to home are the two publications which came to us courtesy of the Kildare County Decade of Commemoration Committee. James Durney’s “Stand you now for Ireland’s Cause” is a comprehensive biographical dictionary of Kildare Republican Activists 1913-1923. It was followed last year by Karel Kiely’s Biographical list of Republican Women Activists in County Kildare 1913-1923. Clare Historian, Padraig Og O’Ruairc has written “The Disappeared” a detailed account of forced disappearances in Ireland between 1798 and 1998. His book identifies all the known victims of abduction and secret killings which were part of the violent political conflict in Ireland over two hundred years. Conor Dodd has written a first class account of fatalities of the War of Independence and the Civil War who found a last resting place in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin. Conor, who is a historian for Dublin Cemeteries explores in his book “Casualties of Conflict” , the lives and deaths of over three hundred men, women and children who died during the national conflicts. Historians throughout the country have added to our knowledge of the many who died during the course of the national struggle. Following perhaps the work of the early mentioned Ray Bateson, Galway man Ronan Gearoid O’Domhnaill is the author of “Gone but not Forgotten – Historic Graves of Kerry” and “Gone the Way of Truth- Historic Graves of Galway”. As the titles indicate the works are not confined to the revolutionary years of the early 20th century but cover all periods in Ireland’s History. Donegal’s republican dead 1900-2000 are detailed in Brian Anderson’s recently published book “Gone but Not Forgotten”. It outlines in great detail the lives of the forty two republican volunteers with Donegal connections who died during republican campaigns of the 20th Century. Barry Keane’s book “Corks Revolutionary Dead 1916-1923” examines the major incidents in Cork during that period and details the more than 700 men, women and children who were killed in the Rebel County. The list of those who died is comprehensive and includes not only volunteers but also British Army, RIC and Civilians. Dr. Tim Horgan’s book “Dying for the Cause Kerry’s Republican Dead” is a well researched account of those killed in the Kingdom and whose lives are now to be remembered forever. “The dead of the Irish Revolution” by Eunan O’Halpin and Daithi O’Corrain is perhaps the most comprehensive account of all the deaths during the Irish Revolution years. It charts all of those who died starting with Cornelius Keating, Charles Monaghan and Daniel Sheehan who drowned when their car went off Ballykissane Pier on the 21st April 1916. The last entry dated the 21st December 1921 records the accidental shooting of Michael McCrann a 19 year old IRA Volunteer in the Guardroom of Gilhooly Hall, Sligo. Organising deaths chronically, the book records all casualties whether civilian, police, military or volunteer. It is a magnificent work by the two University historians. My intention in writing this article was to highlight the work of a Carlow man, Colum O’Ruairc, who has to date produced two volumes of what is intended to be six volumes dealing with the Irish Republican dead. The first volume 1916-1919 and second volume 1920 has been published as part of a project which Colum declares is “steadfastly neutral historically and politically”. He has produced two excellent books which outline not just the Republicans who died but also the incidents in which they were involved. The books are notable for the quality and variety of photographs which are featured, many of which I have never seen before. The late great GAA man, Jimmy Wren, produced two superb books around the time of the Centenary Celebrations of the 1916 Rising. He researched and published the full list of those who were part of the G.P.O. Garrison in Easter Week and followed up with a book on the members of the garrison in the Four Courts and the Mendicity Institution. University based historians as well as local historians such as Colm Ruairc and the others mentioned in this article have added enormously to our knowledge of the participants and victims of the Revolutionary years.