Recognising Donncadh OhAnnigain

 

The house where Dinny O'Hannigan was born, on the Boro Road, just north of the Cleary cabin.

Dear Phil,
Well, today is the day! I copied the following off the Internet and wondered if you had seen it.

BALLYLANDERS

DETAILS have been finalised for the unveiling of the plaque to mark the birthplace of Major General O Hannigan. The proceedings will commence with Mass in St. Patricks church, Anglesboro at 12 a.m.

Full military honours will be presented at Mass. The chief celebrant will be Fr Dick Kelly and will be concelebrated with priests from adjoining parishes. The parade will assemble at Combawnwood in the Boro Road and advance in column to the former Hannigan homestead (approximately five minutes walk).

A decade of the rosary will be recited in Irish. The oration will be delivered by Senator Labras O Murchu. The proclamation will be read by John Hassett president of the Bardie association of Ireland.

 

O'Hannigan, disguised as a priest, when visiting republican prisoners in Limerick gaol. His daughter Carmel provided me with the photo and the story.

A message from Phil Cleary former member of the Australian parliament and close relative of Hannigan will be read by Danny O'Brien the oldest resident of Anglesboro Kilbehenny parish, former member of the Irish Defence forces and close personal friend of the late General, survivor of World War II, 1939-'45. Having experienced action with the first Indian division in Burma.

Any correspondence relating to same should be addressed to the O'Mahony, Ballyfaskin, Ballylanders, Co. Limerick. The evening will conclude with a social evening at Galtee View Lounge where light refreshments will be served.

I feel very proud, and am really delighted that this is happening. I notice you have added another photo to your website. I always liked that one and have a copy on my bookshelf.

Sincerely,

Eilis O'Hannigan (daughter)

The plaque outside Donncadh's original home.

 

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

To have Daniel O'Brien deliver this tribute to the great Donnacdh O'Hannigan on my behalf is one of the greatest honours I'll ever receive. Winning Prime Minister Bob Hawke's seat in the federal election ten years ago was an exciting moment. .

But I never in my wildest dreams imagined that a ninety-two-year old Galtees man would be standing in my ancestors' church delivering these words. I only wish I were there to embrace my great friends John Gallahue and sister Carmel O'Hannigan, who first brought her father into my life.

I only wish I were there to share the pride of my Cleary, Casey and O'Hannigan relatives.As a boy I always wanted to know where my Irish ancestors came from. When I first made my way to the Boro Road, Anglesboro, in 1973 I could hardly believe the beauty I found.

When I wandered around the cemeteries, read the history and talked to sister Carmel and eventually met John Gallahue, David Tobin, Josie McInerney, and Peggy Lenihan and her father, I soon understood why I call this place home. Now I really understand why Dinny O'Hannigan and his mates looked death in the eye and raised their guns against Lloyd-George and Churchill's mighty army and those Black and Tans.

This is a place to die for, and these were proud and defiant people. And what a man Dinny O'Hannigan was. For years and years the Free State was synonymous to many opponents with a dishonourable truce. Two of my own aunts, Mollie and Nellie Cleary, themselves first cousins of Dinny O'Hannigan were arrested by the Free State Army in Dublin and locked up in Kilmainham Gaol in 1923.

But eventually we came to understand how much pain the Civil War brought to great men like Dinny O'Hannigan. The more I've read about him the more I've come to grasp how important he was in Ireland's fight to free itself from the English yoke.

I've written about Donncadh O'Hannigan and told my friends about him.I have his story and his photo on my Website.And among my most valuable possessions are his Free State Army badge and his personally autographed copy of Limerick's Fighting Story.

In 1998, one hundred and eleven years after Donncadh O'Hannigan was born I named my youngest son, Donncadh, in tribute to this inspiring Limerick man.And sister Carmel, you'll be glad to know my son tells everyone that he is named after the soldier in the uniform.

To you John Gallahue, I can only say that if you were a few years younger I'd kiss you.It's a great thing you've done Councillor Gallahue.

After all these years Donncadh O'Hannigan can finally take his place on the Boro Road as the comrade and equal of Liam Lynch and all those other gallant Galtee boys.

I'm sure Liam Lynch will be happy about that.

God bless you Donncadh O'Hannigan.

Dear Phil,
Below is the account from the Limerick Leader of last Sunday's celebrations.
E.

DESPITE the inclement weather a fine crowd turned out to give due honour and credit to the late General Donnacha O hAnnagáin last Sunday to mark his
birth place on the Boro Road Anglesboro.

In an inspiring address Senator Labhras O Murchu who unveiled the plaque, appealed to the Unionist community in Northern Ireland to join with their fellow Irish men and women in the South for a united effort for the betterment of the whole country. He went on to assure them that they had nothing to fear from a United Ireland.

A message was read out by the Bardic Federation of Ireland from Eilis
O'Hannigan in California thanking the committee and wishing them well. A
message of goodwill was also read from Phil Cleary a former member of the
Australian parliament and a close relative of the late Donnacha O Hannigan.
The proceedings commenced with concelebrated Mass celebrated by Rev. Fr.
Dick Kelly assisted by Canon Denis Talbot P.P. Galbally.

Apart from commemorating the memory of some one whose contributions to the development of the Irish nation are on a par with his fellow parishioners, Col. John O'Mahony the founder of the Fenians, Willie Condon the great land league campaigner from Anglesboro, General Liam Lynch from Barnagurraha, Donnacha O'Hannigan was by any standards an equal to Eamonn De Valera or Michael Collins. It was, said Senator O Murchu, an occasion to set aside for ever the bitterness and civil war politics that have bedevilled our society for
so many decades.

It was of course a very proud occasion for his son Donnacha, his daughters
Sister Carmel and Nora and his grand nephews, Pat, Donal and Michael and
also for his close relatives the busy family of the Boro Road and Pat Casey,
Grange, Clonmel son of the late Captain Ned Casey, first cousin of the late
Donnadia O Hannigán. The Irish defence forces turned out in great style with
appropriate pomp and ceremony under the command of Captain Neville Furlong.

An oil portrait is to be commissioned.

This will ensure that future generations of the officers core of the Irish
Defence Forces will be forever reminded of the contribution made by Donnacha O'Hannigan in the formation of a national army and indeed in the foundation of our sovereign state.