Republicans gather to mark centenary of Leavy killing

Irish republican activists gathered in Mullingar town last Sunday April 24, to mark the 100th anniversary of the killing of anti-Treaty IRA officer Joseph Leavy.

Leavy (36) was killed at the junction of Dominick Street and Mary Street on April 27, 1922, shortly after pro-Treaty National Army soldier Patrick Columb died in an incident nearby.

The commemoration began at the Fairgreen, with a procession of around fifty people carrying flags and banners to Dominick Street.

The Spirit of Irish Freedom Republican Society, which organised the event, procured a small memorial stone to mark the occasion, in front of which a lone piper played a lament.

The event was chaired by Alan McCabe, Castlepollard, who said that the group was “honoured” to pay tribute to Joe Leavy, who had remained loyal to an all-Ireland republic until the end.

Mr McCabe invited a member of the Dermody/Leavy Cumann, Joseph Dinnegan Jr, to read the 1916 proclamation, before Stephen Clarke from the Sloan/Tormey Cumann read the Westmeath republican roll of honour. Both readings were accompanied by a soft melody played by musician Martin O’Neill.

Author and historian Peter A Rogers, chairperson of the Spirit of Irish Freedom Republican Society, gave a brief history of the events in Athlone and Mullingar which led up to incidents in Mullingar on April 27, 1922.

The series of events began with the killing of pro-Treaty officer George Adamson in “dubious circumstances” in Athlone on the night of April 25, Mr Rogers said, and continued with a series of arrests in Mullingar. This, in turn, led to the incident which resulted in the death of pro-Treaty soldier Patrick Columb on Mary Street on the morning of April 27.

“It was about an hour after this incident that Joseph Leavy and his lorry load of men were stopped and taken prisoner by Free State troops at the top of Mary Street,” Mr Rogers continued.

“Just as the anti-Treaty men had been disarmed and taken off the lorry, the driver of the vehicle, Edward McMunn, put the vehicle into reverse and began reversing at full speed back towards the RIC barracks. He immediately came under heavy gunfire from the Free State troops nearby, but in a hail of bullets he made it back into the barracks to safety. He did receive a few gunshot wounds for his endeavours but survived the ordeal.

“All the remaining anti-treaty Executive soldiers were then marched down Mary Street out onto Dominick Street with their hands over their heads, but as they emerged out onto the junction with Dominick Street, machine gun fire was opened up on them by Free State troops situated at the Post Office.

“Joseph Leavy was fatally wounded and fell dead on the road directly in front of an armoured car parked near the post office. A few other prisoners also received severe gunshot wounds in the incident.

“At a time when we hear on our TV screens about ‘war crimes’, it must be stated here today that, the killing of Joe Leavy on April 27, 1922 was a ‘war crime’ perpetrated here on the streets of Mullingar by Free State forces.

“Lieutenant Joseph Leavy was buried with full military honours in Enniscoffey graveyard two days later on April 29, 1922.”

When Mr Rogers’ account concluded, wreaths were laid at the memorial stone by members of the Leavy family, led by Butch Farrell (Leavy’s grandnephew); Armagh republicans (led by Padraig O’Farrell), the Michael Fagan Fenian Society Westmeath (Thomas Lynch), the Spirit of Irish Freedom Republican Society’s Dermody/Leavy Cumann (Joe Dinnegan), Sloan/Tormey Cumann (Stephen Clarke) and Cogan/McDonnell Cumann (North Meath; Jake Mulvaney), and Anti-Imperialist Ireland (Sean Doyle).

A minute’s silence followed, with lowering of flags and the playing of the Last Post and Reveillé. A statement was read by the Irish Socialist Republican Youth, Macradh, before Armagh republican Cáit Trainor delivered the main oration.

“Joe was a dedicated and fearless republican. He gave his absolute everything to see the permanent establishment of the Irish republic,” said Ms Trainor.

“During the early days of the counter-revolution it could have been easy for Joe and others to be swayed into reformism. The propaganda was relentless, telling people that if they did not submit it would mean a ‘terrible and bloody war’, yet even in the face of such aggression and coercion Joe and his comrades stood firm.

“Joe Leavy was murdered by Irish men, Irish men who joined an army to defend the position of Ireland being a dominion of Britain. They actively fought against and murdered men prepared to fight on for a 32-county republic.

“Next year will see the 100th anniversary of the Ballyseedy massacre in Kerry, one of their more well-known atrocities where they tied unarmed prisoners to landmines – prisoners who had been tortured by beatings with hammers – and blew them up. Any survivors were then shot with machine guns.

“The counter-revolution might have begun in 1922, but it by no means ended there. It is ongoing today. One hundred years later in 2022, we have former republicans doling out British rule in the occupied Six Counties, we have a political class in the 26 Counties acquiescing to British imperialist interests. All the while these self-serving backsliders are persecuting republicans and laughing at the Irish people.

“They have instilled a sense of national inferiority, favouring British royal visits, foreign warmongering and boasting about their political maturity. Where is their ally Britain’s maturity when it comes to the victims of British state violence in Ireland and collusion with loyalist terrorists, which continues to this day?”

In concluding the ceremony, Alan McCabe expressed his gratitude to everyone who has supported the Spirit of Irish Freedom Republican Society’s ongoing work over the past number of years. He also thanked all those who helped organise the event and those who participated in this very successful commemoration to honour Joe Leavy.

He explained that the memorial stone would be removed from the spot of the killing and placed at the Joe Leavy burial site in Enniscoffey later that day. The event ended with the playing of Amhrán na bhFiann.