Third Tipperary Brigade Old IRA annual Seán Treacy commemoration

A large crowd attended the Third Tipperary Brigade Old IRA Commemoration Committee’s annual Seán Treacy commemoration in Kilfeacle on Sunday, October 13. Many were descendants or relations of the members of the Brigade of a century ago. Among them were a cousin of Brigadier Seumas Robinson, Daniel Jack, and his wife Eileen from Belfast.
Proceedings began with a Mass for the Brigade’s members – Volunteers, Cumann na mBan, and Fianna Éireann. It was celebrated by Rev. Fr. Pat Coffey, PP. He used the chalice which had been carved and donated by a member of the Commemoration Committee in 2016 in honour of Dan Breen and to commemorate the centenary of the Easter Rising. In his homily the celebrant reminded the congregation of the debt that was owed to our freedom fighters, of the precious legacy they had bequeathed to us, and of the necessity to render thanks to them for their efforts and sacrifices. At the Consecration the colour party of the Tipperary branch of ONE dipped their flags in salute and the trumpeter from the Charles Kickham Brass and Reed Band paid a musical salute.
The crowd then paraded behind the Seán Treacy Pipe Band to the local cemetery. There they commemorated the ninety ninth anniversary of the heroic death of the Third Brigade’s Vice Brigadier, Seán Treacy, who was killed in action battling overwhelming enemy odds in Talbot Street, Dublin, on October 14, 1920, aged 25. The Master of Ceremonies was Pat English, MCC, Clonmel.
Proceedings began with the laying of wreaths. Kathleen Allis Cleary laid the first one on behalf of the Treacy and Allis families. Then Michael Moroney, Drangan, laid one in honour of the Brigade’s members. Ta siad go léir imithe ar shlí na fírinne anois. Next a decade of the Rosary, as Gaeilge, was led by Nuala Gleeson, Tipperary. The 1916 Proclamation of the Republic was movingly read by Séamus Leahy, Clonmel. The oration was delivered this year by Liz Gillis, from Dublin’s Liberties. She is an acclaimed historian, author and broadcaster. She is an authority on the 1913-1923 period and has written several books dealing with various aspects of that period, particularly those dealing with the role of women. She began by explaining how her interest in Irish history had been kindled by hearing the story of the Soloheadbeg ambush and then reading Dan Breen’s book, “My Fight for Irish Freedom”. It was a salutary lesson on the importance of the teaching and learning of Irish history in both primary and secondary schools. During the course of her speech she outlined the events of Treacy’s life. She illustrated the influences which guided his judgements and motivated his actions. She analysed his thought processes which caused him to intelligently adopt the course of armed rebellion as the means of securing Ireland’s independence. She traced chronologically his action-filled life journey during the less than two years between Soloheadbeg and Talbot Street. She listed a number of armed actions, ambushes, barracks’ burnings, and assassination attempts in which he had been involved. She vividly described his lonely death on a Dublin street. She wondered about how his life would have turned out had he lived, his attitude to the Treaty, his judgement on the current state of the country. Wisely she didn’t proffer any answers. She ended her much appreciated oration as follows,
Seán Treacy put the freedom of his country before everything else. It is only fitting to end with the words that Seán Treacy himself wrote: ‘once and forever, that I’ve put Ireland over all long ago and that I will not allow my own interests or the interests of anyone else to prevent me helping her cause. And because of his dedication to his country, the sun was ‘to finally set’ on the British Empire.
The speech met with great approval and applause. The Trumpeter then sounded the Last Post.
The MC thanked by name each of those who participated and specifically acknowledged their contribution to the memorable occasion.
Chríochnaigh an Comóradh nuair a sheinn an banna cheoil An tAmhrán Náisiúnta.

Pictured below Liz Gillis historian from Dublin delivering her oration recently in Kilfeacle at the graveside of Séan Treacy