Maurice Galvin - the ‘youth of noble strain’
In lonely Dangan Churchyard By uplands shaded green Where lie the dead of centuries
One modern grave is seen Bestroked by gentle breezes Or tipped by dripping rain Beneath the sod is sleeping A youth of noble strain.
Those lines were written in 1975, just four years after the erection of a headstone in Dangandonovan Graveyard (Dangan Cemetery) in East Cork. The reference to ‘ One modern grave is seen’ concerns a memorial erected in 1971 to mark the 50th anniversary of the death, on April 9th 1921, of eighteen year old Maurice Galvin, the ‘youth of noble strain’.
The ancient burial ground of Dangan is a hilltop cemetery which contains the ruins of a medieval church dedicated to St. James. The church is believed to be in a ‘ ruinous state’, since around 1600. Maurice Galvin’s final journey on this earth took place on Thursday, April 14th, 1921 when his funeral procession wended its way from Glengoura Church to his final resting place in the old family grave in Dangan.
The story of this brave IRA volunteer’s short life also begins on a Thursday and in Glengoura Church. On that Thursday, May 8th 1884, Edmond Galvin a carpenter and farmer from the townland of Caher, married Hanora (Nora) Murphy of Rearour. Both Caher and Rearour townlands were in the civil parish of Mogeely, Barony of Kinnataloon and the Poor Law Union District of Youghal - both are in the present day parish of Conna/Ballynoe/Glengoura.
Edmond Galvin and his wife Nora reared a family of nine children on their farm and Maurice, the youngest, was born on the 3rd of February 1903. Like his older siblings Maurice attended Glengoura National School - now the local Community Centre.
In 1919 at the age of sixteen, Maurice Galvin became a draper’s assistant in the nearby town of Tallow. He worked for Thomas J O’Dwyer of West St. O’Dwyer was born in Tipperary in 1881 and had established a thriving business in the West Waterford town. He was a Sinn Féin member and ardent nationalist and, no doubt, he influenced young Maurice to join the national Volunteer Movement, which was gaining popularity all over the country. Maurice joined the Tallow Company of the IRA. Despite his youth, he was quickly appointed Adjutant of the Company - this is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the Commanding Officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in the unit. Along with fellow Company volunteers, Maurice took part in drills, training musters and arms usage classes at the Pike and in his native Glengoura. All these ‘activities’ were probably reported to local RIC and other Crown Force personnel.
The latter half of 1920 marked a significant increase in IRA activity as the War of Independence gained momentum. Thomas J. O’Dwyer being known as a leading IRA activist, was forced to ‘go on the run’ for fear of capture. On the night of New Year’s Eve 1920 a large force of British military in seven Crossley Tenders arrived in Tallow. Under the joint command of Lieutenant Turner and Captain Thomas, the military were determined to ‘do a sweep’ of the town and detain prominent nationalists. Macroom man JD Kelleher, who was the Bride Valley (BV) Stores manager and James Cunningham of Convent St - he also worked in BV Stores - were both arrested. O’Dwyer’s Drapery Shop in West St was searched and Maurice Galvin who was in his room, upstairs over the shop, was detained. Maurice’s revolver, which was well hidden behind the skirting board, was not found. Kelleher, Cunningham and Galvin were taken initially to the RIC barracks in Lismore, before being moved on New Year’s Day, to Fermoy.
On their first night in Fermoy the three comrades were kept in the one cell, but when Mossie Galvin was found standing on Cunningham’s shoulders looking out a window onto the Barrack Square, the three were separated! After repeated questioning and threats, Kelleher and Cunningham were released and hired a side-car in Fermoy to take them back to Tallow. Galvin was detained and interrogated about the whereabouts of his ‘on the run’ employer O’Dwyer. He refused to answer any questions on any matters put to him. Trickery and the promise of freedom were used, but he gave no information. He was then detained, more or less, as a ‘hostage’ in place of O’Dwyer.
After spending a short time in the ‘ holding’ centre in Kilworth, Maurice Galvin was sent, under armed escort, by train to Belfast. From there he was taken, along with many other nationalists, by open boat via the Lagan River, to Ballykinlar Detention Camp in County Down. Whilst on the boat trip, the prisoners were pelted by loyalist ship-yard workers with what was termed ‘ Loyalist confetti’, nuts, bolts, pieces of iron, coal, stones and timber. Maurice received a deep head wound when struck by a heavy metal bolt-head.
DETERIORATION IN HEALTH
The regime in Ballykinlar was brutal. Initially, bags of damp straw were the only bedding material, before worn, scabies-infected blankets were provided. The food was often inedible - the potatoes and milk were the only two items which were consistently palatable. The meat, fish and bread were often ‘ gone off’. Amongst Maurice Galvin’s fellow detainees in Compound 2 in Ballykinlar, was Batt O’Mahony from Ballynanelagh in Rathcormac. So it was on February 3rd, 1921, that Maurice Galvin ‘ celebrated’ his 18th birthday, far, far away from his family and friends in East Cork and West Waterford.
It seems that a combination of the neglected head-wound, an underlying kidney problem and possible pneumonia, saw a terrible deterioration in his health at the end of March. Maurice Galvin, aged 18, IRA volunteer, died in Ballykinlar camp on Saturday, April 9th, 1921. Though his official death certificate states he was ill for 10 days, it was reported by other prisoners that the doctor did not attend to him until Friday, April 8th, less than 24 hours before his death.
The following day, on Sunday, April 10th, Maurice Galvin’s body was taken from the camp hospital to the chapel within Ballykinlar, with his heart-broken fellow prisoners forming a tearful guard of honour. Meanwhile, the British authorities informed the Galvin family by telegram of his death. They had not been told of his declining health, so news of his death must have caused unbelievable grief and heartbreak. The family indicated that they wished to have the remains brought by train to Tallow Road Station at Glencairn. In an act of shocking insensitivity, the military authorities informed the family that a sum of £34 and 4 shillings, to cover ‘cost of transportation’, had firstly to be sent to Ballykinlar before the body would be released. This callous insult was raised in June in the House of Commons.
On Tuesday, April 12th a Mass was celebrated in the camp church for the young volunteer. His comrades then bore their fallen friend to the main gates of Ballykinlar, where the remains were placed on a Red Cross lorry. Maurice Galvin’s body was taken to Dublin then for his train journey home. His two brothers, Patrick and John, travelled to Dublin to be with their brother on the sad homecoming. The body was wrapped in a shroud made from prison blankets by Tallow detainee in Ballykinlar, Michael Handcock. On arrival at Glencairn, a Tricolour was placed on the coffin as it was placed on a horse-drawn bier. Slowly, the cortege made its way down Tallow Hill, across the road, over the bridge and on towards the town. Volunteers James Cunningham (arrested on December 31st); John Willis, Glasshouse; Michael Tully, Tallow and James Cunningham of Curraghrea, then came forward and shouldered the coffin through the town of Tallow, pausing no doubt, at the junction to West Street, where young Maurice Galvin had been learning his trade as a draper. At the Bride Valley Stores, the coffin was placed once more on the horse-drawn bier and from there, the procession went to Glengoura Church.
One can only imagine what the heart-rending scenes must have been like as family, friends, neighbours and volunteer comrades of young Galvin, saw the coffin taken into the church to repose there for the night. The following day was Thursday, April 14th and ironically, on the day of the funeral, questions were being asked in the House of Commons in London about ‘ Camp conditions’ for ‘Irish prisoners’. It was reported that 2,208 prisoners were then held in various Irish internment camps. Mr Denis Henry was asked if there had been ‘ any complaints as to the conditions in these camps?’ He replied ‘No, some of the prisoners appear to be having the time of their lives’. A Mr. Lynn added, ‘the bulk of these prisoners are really much better off than people who are earning an honest living’ - talk about lies and damn lies!
The funeral from Glengoura to Dangandonovan was of very large proportions, as all who knew Maurice Galvin came to bid a final farewell and offer some comfort to his sorrowing family. The volunteers feared that the Crown forces might interfere with the burial or attempt to disperse the crowd. In anticipation of this, Tallow IRA Company Captain
Frank Ryan, later an internationally famous tenor, went before the cortege to Dangan, fully armed. He took up a hiding place in the cemetery, but there was no trouble. When most of the mourners had made their way down the hillside path from the graveyard, a group of volunteers came forward and fired a volley in salute over the grave of Adjutant Volunteer, Maurice Galvin. He was a brave young man who lost his life in the noble cause of Irish freedom.
One hundred years after his death, we pay tribute to him. We thank in a special way his three surviving nephews, Paudie Galvin, Roger Galvin and Peter Johnson - they never knew their uncle but, through them, his memory lives on. May Maurice rest in peace.
Soldiers are we whose lives are pledged to Ireland; Some have come from a land beyond the wave. Sworn to be free,
No more our ancient sire land Shall shelter the despot or the slave. Tonight we man the gap of danger In Erin’s cause, come woe or weal ‘Mid cannons’ roar and rifles peal, We’ll chant a soldier’s song In valley green, on towering crag, Our fathers fought before us, And conquered ‘neath the same old flag
That’s proudly floating o’er us. We’re children of a fighting race, That never yet has known disgrace,
And as we march, the foe to face, We’ll chant a soldier’s song.