Stamullen

IN MEMORY

SYMPATHY is extended to the family and friends of Paddy Molloy, Cairns Road Bellewstown, who recently passed away. Following funeral mass at St. Theresa`s Church Belleswtown, Paddy was laid to rest in Duleek. Sympathy is also extended to the family and friends of Donal Moran, late of Cooperhill Julianstown, who recently passed away. Following funeral mass at Laytown Church, Donal`s remains were cremated at Dardistown Crematorium in North Dublin.

ACTIVE RETIREMENT

THE East Meath Active Retirement Association are back once again for another season and meet up every Thursday afternoon in the meeting rooms at St. Mary`s Church of Ireland on the Laytown Road in Julianstown. New members are always more than welcome to along any Thursday at around 2.30pm and join a very actve and lively bunch.

BOWLS CLUB

THE local Bowls Club have returned after their summer break and meet up every Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 8 until 10pm at St. Patrick`s GAA Sports Complex at Cock Hill Stamullen. New members would be greatly appreciated and very welcome.

BLACK AND TANS

MONDAY evening, September 20th 1920 and 36-year-old Peter Burke, who had just been appointed to his new position of District Inspector within the ranks of the Royal Irish Constabulary, dropped into Mrs. Smyth`s Public House in Balbriggan accompanied by a couple more Officers of the RIC. The Police Party were on their way from Dublin City to the Military Barracks at nearby Gormanston when they decided to stop off in the vibrant Fingal town for a few drinks before proceeding on to Gormanston. While the party of RIC men were leaving Smyth`s premises a shot rang out in the darkened night and Inspector Burke fell to the street mortally wounded.

This was to be the beginning of a night of terror for the inhabitants of Balbriggan, for when the word of the shooting arrived at Gormanston, the Black and Tans who were stationed there decided that they would `teach` the people of Balbriggan a severe lesson and headed for the town in several military motor lorries shortly after 11pm. Once the Tans arrived they began to fire volleys of shots indiscriminately through the streets of the town; setting fire to commercial premises, homes and factories.

The dreaded Tans also threw incendiary devices into premises as they marauded their way around assaulting with brute force anyone whom they came across. Many of the townsfolk left their homes in their night attire and headed for safety to the Hill of Clonard just to the west of Balbriggan.

However, two unfortunate local men by the names of James Lawless and John Gibbons were not to be so lucky and they were both arrested and brought to the RIC Police Barracks in Bridge Street where they were severely beaten before being taken out onto the street and brutally murdered,. Butchered to death in the early hours of Tuesday morning, September 21st.

Word of what had taken place at Balbriggan in reprisal for the shooting of Inspector Burke was published in every newspaper across Ireland, England, Europe and America.

The Black and Tans went on to carry out many more atrocities across Ireland over the following year and many of their own members were ambushed and killed by the IRA who had the upper-hand in fighting the enemy using Guerilla War tactics in a country that was totally alien in its topography to the Tans.

James Lawless and Sean Gibbons were laid to rest in Balscadden Cemetery Co. Dublin and a fine large Celtic Cross stands over the martyr’s grave.

The night of terror in Balbriggan which took place 97 year ago this very week.