Mayo
On Sunday April 30th 1916 a party of Volunteers disarmed a party of Special Constables at Balla, County Mayo. The Special Constables were members of the National Volunteers (Redmondites) who had been sworn in as Special Constables.
Late in 1915 a prominent member of the Castlebar Company of the Volunteers died. It was decided to give him a military style funeral and twenty of the Companies Martini rifles were used during the funeral. After the funeral was held on a Sunday and the rifles were left at Rooney Hall on the Saturday night. During Saturday night Volunteers loyal to the Redmondite Volunteers enter the hall and removed the rifles. The rifles were placed in a hidden store in Kiltimagh where they remained until Easter Week.
On the 30th of April the Volunteers learned that the rifles had been stored at McEllin’s Hotel and were about to be moved to Castlebar by four Redmondite Volunteers who were formed into a group known as Special Constables whose job was to assist the British in putting down the Rising. A small group of five or six Volunteers was hastily mobilised and went to McEllin’s where they found the rifles in the back of a motor car outside the hotel. The Redmondite Volunteers saw the Volunteers remove the rifles from the car but did nothing to interfere although it is believed at least two of them were armed at the time.
Walsh Richard T.D. Brigade Adjutant, Mayo Brigade, Irish Volunteers. Born in 1889 Died on the 4th of December 1959, aged about 27 years old during the Rising. Fought in County Mayo. He joined the Volunteers in 1914 and served as Brigade Adjutant, Staff Officer General Headquarters, Brigade Officer and Divisional Intelligence Officer 2nd Western Division between 1916 and the end of the Civil War. He served throughout the War of Independence and took the Anti-Treaty side in the Civil War. He was arrested in early May 1916 and detained at Castlebar Jail and Richmond Barracks Dublin, he was released in the first week of July 1916 after he and the other Mayo prisoners agreed to hand over the guns which were hidden in Castlebar. During the War of Independence he was involved in transporting arms between Dublin and Mayo and also travelled to England to acquire arms which were brought back to Ireland.
Corcoran Sean killed in the War of Independence.
Fallon Patrick. Born in 1886 died on the 5th of July 1958. He was a member of the Balla Company, South Mayo Brigade Irish Volunteers and went on to serve as Brigade Quarter Master. He took part in the action against the Special Constables and was detained in Richmond Barracks Dublin for a time immediately after the Rising. He was active throughout the War of Independence and took the Anti-Treaty side in the Civil War. He was interned from December 1922 to December 1923.
Golden Michael.
Keville Patrick.
Murphy Thomas.
Reilly James.
Ruane James (Seámus Ó Ruadháin). Volunteer, Kiltimagh Company, Mayo Brigade, Irish Volunteers. Born on the 8th of July 1896 died on the 18 of May 1944, aged 19 years old at the time of the Rising. Fought at Balla County Mayo.
Prisoners at Richmond with Richard Walsh:
- McHugh Michael, from Castlebar
- Hoban John, from Castlebar
- Murphy
- Fallon
- Reilly
- Golden
- Keville
