103rd anniversary of Roscrea Castle executions commemoration planned for this weekend

The 103rd anniversary of the execution of four men in Roscrea Castle during the Civil War period will be marked at a commemorative ceremony in the heritage town this Sunday (January 25th) organised by the Roscrea Ella O’Dwyer / Treacy Cré Sinn Féin Cumann.

The event will be chaired by Cathaoirleach of North Tipperary Sinn Féin, Dan Harty and the guest speaker on the day with be Sinn Féin TD for Cavan-Monaghan and party Spokesperson on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Matt Carthy.

Guest speakers at last year's event included Deputy Mairead Farrell, Sinn Féin TD for Galway West and former Sinn Féin MEP and close comrade of the late Ella O’Dwyer, Martina Anderson and in 2022 Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald visited Roscrea to speak at the commemoration.

In previous years the organisers requested permission from the OPW to hold their event inside the grounds of Roscrea Castle for the commemoration, but were not facilitated.

This year the guest speaker Matt Carthy TD as party justice spokesperson will meet with Michael Donovan, Dan Harty and local party members to discuss issues regarding Garda numbers locally and the unacceptable situation with Roscrea Garda Station, before attending the official commemoration on planned for Castle Street at 2pm.

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The ceremony on Castle Street will be preceded by a march through the town by a colour party which will begin in the large carpark on Lourdes Road (old Tesco carpark).

On January 15th, 1923 four men were executed by firing squad for the illegal possession of arms and ammunition after they were arrested at Ross Cottage near Borrisoleigh, on December 23, 1923.

The four men were: Frederick Burke from Curnaboola, Ileigh, Borrisoleigh aged 28; Patrick Russell, from Summerhill, Borrisoleigh, aged 26; Martin O’Shea from Garrangrena, Borrisoleigh, aged 22 and Patrick McNamara from Killaloe, Co. Clare, aged 22.

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All four were executed in Roscrea Castle Barracks by a Free State government firing squad.

The executed men's remains were not returned to their families until the summer of 1924.

When the remains were eventually returned it was cause for tense military displays at a time when weapons and gatherings were forbidden.