7 September 2022
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
With the Micheal Collins Centenary events recently concluded, Dúchas Clonakilty Heritage will hold another public talk on two other prominent West Corkmen from the tragic year of 1922 on 18th November at the local GAA Pavilion.
At the outset of the Decade of Centenaries, the local history and heritage group decided its mission was “To ensure that the complex period of our history particularly from 2021 to 2023 is remembered appropriately, respectfully and with sensitivity”.
Following on the very well received lecture on Michael Collins recently by Gabriel Doherty of UCC, the sad and tragic deaths of Seán Hales and Dick Barrett will be remembered on 18th November – just three weeks before their centenary anniversaries.
Much has been written about how close both men were in life and how sad they were linked in death with pro-treaty Seán Hales, TD assassinated as he left the Dáil on 7th December 2022 and his former friend and comrade, Dick Barrett, an anti-treaty Republican incarcerated since the surrender of the Four Courts, was taken out and executed as a reprisal the following morning along with three fellow Republican prisoners.
On Friday evening 18th November, Sean Hales and Dick Barrett will be remembered in a special commemorative event, hosted and organised by Dúchas Clonakilty Heritage, at the Clonakilty GAA Complex.
Given the upcoming centenaries and the fact that both men were “locals”, as well as the interest in this tragic period of Irish history, it’s an event likely to attract a large crowd.
Dúchas Clonakilty Heritage is announcing the date at this early stage so people can “save the date”.
Further details will be publicised nearer the date and interested people are advised to keep an eye on the Dúchas Clonakilty Heritage Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/DuchasClon
