West Mayo War of Independence commemorations planned

A COMMITTEE, under the auspices of Westport Historical Society, is currently planning centenary commemorations of the War of Independence (1919-1921).

In particular, the committee is focused on commemorating the activities of the West Mayo Brigade of the IRA, which was composed of four battalions: 1st (Castlebar), 2nd (Newport), 3rd (Westport) and 4th (Louisburgh). Each battalion area is represented on the committee.

It is also intended to commemorate the activities of local branches of Cumann na mBan and the support rendered by civilians throughout the brigade area.

The committee has set up a website – www.westmayo.ie - and a Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/WarOfIndependenceCentenaryWestMayo.

Work on a commemorative book (to be published later this year) is at an advanced stage, and plans are in place for a local newspaper commemorative supplement.

It is also intended to erect, in this centenary year, a commemorative plaque, to serve as a permanent local memorial.

Finally, planning is also underway for an exhibition, which will seek to raise public awareness of local events during the War of Independence.

If you have any old photographs, documents or memorabilia related to the War of Independence in the West Mayo area, the committee would love to hear from you.

They are also encouraging people to submit accounts of local experiences of the War of Independence. These might be written accounts or taped/video-recorded interviews with a family member or neighbour, an historical account of your ancestor’s experiences in that period, or an old video tape of a local commemoration event held years ago.

You can get in touch by emailing contact@westmayo.ie or by phoning (086) 1934217.