West Kerry remembers a fallen hero
THE Coimín-born Irish Volunteer Tomás Ruiséal, who was killed in Co Clare at the tragically young age of 21 years, was remembered on Saturday with a ceremony at the grave in Cill Mhaoilcheadair where he was laid to rest exactly 100 years previously.
The commemoration, which was organised by Ruiséal’s grand-nephew, Noel Ó Murchú (Purge), was attended by a gathering of up to 100 people, including the Dingle Fife & Drum band who played at the graveside as had their predecessors in the Dingle Band a century earlier.
Fife & Drum member Páidí ‘Mharthain’ Mac Gearailt had a dual role at the commemoration at which, aside from his band duties, he also sang ‘Beir Mo Dhúthracht’. Noel read the graveside oration, originally delivered by Fionán Mac Coluim; another grand-nephew of Ó Ruiséal, Tom Russell, laid a wreath on the grave; Bríd Ní Mhoráin recited ‘Caoineadh Thomás Ruiséal’, which was composed by the patriot’s father Micil Clausín; and Bosco Ó Conchúir did a great job of keeping the whole ceremony running smoothly.
Ó Ruiséal, who was born in Coimín, was working as an Irish teacher in County Clare where, on Palm Sunday, March 24, 1918, he was bayonetted by British soldiers who were breaking up a Sinn Féin meeting in Carrigaholt. He later died in Kilrush hospital on March 27, 1918 and was buried in Cill Mhaoilcheadair on Holy Saturday, 1918, in what was described as the biggest funeral ever seen in West Kerry.
Noel Ó Murchú recently launched his book entitled ‘ The Life and Death of Thomas Russell - Beatha agus Bás Thomáis Ruiséal’, and an exhibition on the life and death of Ruiséal, which opened in Dingle Library last week, will continue to run until next Monday.