Howth Gun Running - Two Tipperary men remember 109 years on

Howth Gun Running
The 109th anniversary of the Howth gun running takes place on July 26. This event involved the importation of 1,500 Mauser rifles for the Irish Volunteers in 1914 which were later used in the 1916 Rising.

Two men from Cloughjordan parish played key roles in the events of July 26. They were Thomas MacDonagh who led the march of the Irish Volunteers from Howth with their cargo of rifles and Constable Michael Gleeson, from Ballinamurra, a member of the Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP).
As the Irish Volunteers marched back to Dublin from Howth they were stopped at Clontarf by a column of soldiers and a group of DMP men who attempted to take the rifles from the Volunteers.Two of the police, Contables Michael Gleeson and Andy O’Neill, refused to obey an order to take the guns from the Volunteers and they were dismissed from the police for insubordination. In the ensuing confusion the Volunteers succeeded in holding on to their rifles and the disgruntled soldiers marched back to their barracks.

At Bachelors Walk the soldiers opened fire on unarmed civilians who were heckling them .Four civilians were killed and more than thirty wounded by the soldiers.

The slaughter of unarmed civilians caused widespread outrage in the country. An official investigation into the events of July 26 resulted in the resignation of the Chief Commissioner of the DMP and the reinstatement of Constables Michael Gleeson and Andy O’Neill to the DMP in October 1914. The soldiers involved were subsequently transferred to the Western Front. The brave and patriotic actions of the two policemen received widespread praise and support from the Irish public and both men are mentioned in a song called ‘Bachelors Walk’ commemorating the events on that fateful day.

The Kilruane branch of the Irish Volunteers, under the leadership of Edward O’Leary gave great support to Constable Gleeson and a collection was made in the locality to support him until he was reinstated to the DMP.