To truly honour General Liam Lynch we must now build towards a united Ireland
Saturday, 10th April marked the 98th anniversary of the death of General Liam Lynch. Lynch, at the time of his death, was the Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army, leading the charge against Free State Forces during the Irish civil war.
On Saturday, Sinn Féin members Róisín Hannan and Kate O’Connell laid a wreath at Lynch’s grave in Kilcrumper Cemetery, Fermoy, representing the Fermoy/Mitchelstown Cumann that is named in Lynch’s honour.
At the event, Róisín said, “We don’t organise commemorations just to remember the sacrifices of the generations that went before us, we are here to keep alive their vision, the vision of 32 county Ireland. Irish Unity is closer than ever. Recent events like the fallout from Brexit and having two-tiered health systems with different Covid strategies have highlighted how a small island partitioned does not work”.
Lynch is a very important person in Irish history. During the War of Independence he was Commandant of the Cork No. 2 Brigade and later Commandant of the First Southern Division. Lynch along with many Free State leaders tried hard to avoid civil war. However, like so many of his comrades, he was not willing to accept the partition of Ireland when independence was so close. A partition that has blighted the island for a century now.
For his part he took the role of chief of staff of the IRA during the preceding civil war. His efforts to thwart the foundation of the Free State included the declaration of the Munster Republic and waging the ‘campaign of frightfulness’ against the Provisional Government. General Liam Lynch lost his life on April 10, 1923 in what is regarded by many as the last act of the civil war, with anti-Treaty forces ending their campaign shortly afterwards.
“We remember and we celebrate the life and sacrifices of Liam Lynch, but the ultimate honour is to organise now for a unified and united Ireland for all of the people of this nation, from all traditions and cultures,” Kate O’Connell said.