Museum - Irish History 1916 through to 1923

Charge of the Irish Brigade at The Battle of Fredericksburg: "Never Were Men So Brave" The Battle of Fredericksburg in The U.S. Civil War was fought on ...13 December 1862. The Irish Brigade of the U.S. (Union or Northern) Army distinguished itself for valor, although the battle was a disastrous defeat. Their bravery was admired, cheered and remarked upon even by their enemies. Their service earned respect for the Irish in America, and proved their loyalty to their new nation. The Irish Brigade was composed of Irish immigrants in the big Northern cities of New York, Boston and Philadelphia. Many of them were refugees from The Great Hunger of the 1840's. These men were motivated by gratitude to their adopted nation, and a desire to preserve the Union. They also sought to improve the standing of the Irish in America, who suffered much discrimination. The Irish Brigade was the second Brigade of Division 1 of II Corps of The Army of the Potomac of the U.S. Army. The regiments were: 69th New York 88th New York 63rd New York 28th Massachusetts 116th Pennsylvania Each regiment had its own flag of green emblazoned with a golden harp and shamrocks beneath a sunburst, as well as the U.S. National flag, the Stars and Stripes. The sunburst is a republican motif signifying the dawning of a new day that appears in many flags from the Fenian era. This is no coincidence. Many of the soldiers of the Irish Brigade were members of the Fenian Brotherhood, a secret oath-bound society dedicated to establishing an Irish republic by force. It was the American branch of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), both founded in 1852 by exiles from the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848. Many veterans of the Irish Brigade would take part in the Fenian invasion of Canada in 1866 and the Fenian Rising of 1867 in Ireland. Michael O'Brien, who served with the Brigade, was one of the Manchester Martyrs hanged in England, November 1867. Many Irishmen would fight on the opposing confederate side, but in smaller numbers. The Irish Brigade was commanded by Brigadier General Thomas Francis Meagher, a native of Co. Waterford. He was a leader of the Young Ireland Rebellion in 1848 known as "Meagher of the Sword". It was he who introduced the tricolour Irish flag design, which he had brought back from Paris. He was sentenced to death by the British with several of his comrades for his revolutionary activities. His sentence was commuted to transportation to Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania). He escaped to New York in 1852 and became a prominent leader in the Irish exile community. The most famous regiment of the Brigade was the 69th NY. It was commanded by Colonel Michael Corcoran, a native of Co. Sligo. In October of 1860, he was under court-martial for refusing to allow the 69th to march in a parade to honor the visiting Prince of Wales. With the approach of the war, the matter was quietly dropped. The war itself began in April of 1861. In November 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th President of the U.S. as a candidate from the newly created Republican Party. The party was founded to stop the spread of slavery. Lincoln had stated that he had no intention of interfering with slavery where it already existed, however his election caused a panic among the slaveholding states in the South. They felt the careful balance of power of "free" and "slave" states was moving against them as new states would be added to the Union. They feared that the abolition of slavery would destroy their economy and way of life. Following the election, several southern states decided to secede or divorce themselves from the Union of the United States. The outgoing U.S. President James Buchanan did nothing to stop them. By the time Lincoln took office in March 1861; South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas formed themselves into a new nation, The Confederate States of America, C.S.A. The war was fought over the U.S. claim of sovereignty against the south's claim of independence. The southern economy was fueled by cotton and tobacco, labor-intensive crops, which were made competitive by slave labor. Cotton in particular was in high demand by British factories. The British were aiding the Confederates with supplies and had massed troops in Canada, threatening to intervene. The U.S. Navy had blockaded the extensive Confederate coastline to cut them off from being supplied by the British. A big part of Confederate strategy was to get the British to recognize the Confederacy and intervene on their behalf, in much the same way as France had done in the American Revolution against the British. The Union had every advantage in manpower, finance and industry. The main advantage the South had was superior leadership, most especially that of commanding General Robert E. Lee. This proved vital as the ineptitude and incompetence of a series of Union commanders squandered their advantages. In September of 1862, Lee's Confederate Army invaded Maryland, a neutral state, and met the Union Army at the Battle of Sharpsburg/Antietam. The battles of 17 September ended in a stalemate, but the Union saw it as a victory because Lee's losses forced him to retreat back to Virginia. The Irish Brigade fought with distinction at Antietam. The 69th NY helped to turn the tide of battle against the rebels at the engagement known as The Bloody Lane. President Abraham Lincoln used the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, which granted freedom to the slaves in the states in rebellion as of 1 January 1863. It was very unpopular even in the north, and was deemed unenforceable because it applied to states where his writ no longer ran. President Lincoln's purpose was twofold: He was theoretically punishing the rebellious states by devaluing their "property". This would become enforceable later in the war, as more and more southern ground was occupied; and the idea of infusing slavery in the politics of the war was meant to discourage foreign (particularly British) recognition of the Confederacy. The same recognition Lee was hoping to secure with a victory at Antietam. President Lincoln also saw Antietam as U.S. Commanding General George McClellan's last straw. McClellan was overly cautious to the point of inaction. Although he always had greater numbers, he constantly asked for reinforcements, usually believing he was outnumbered. Lincoln said he had "the slows". The Confederate cavalry literally ran circles around his army (this is not an exaggeration). Before the battle of Antietam, a Union soldier had discovered a copy of Lee's battle plan accidentally left behind. This informed McClellan that Lee had divided his outnumbered army. If he had acted quickly, McClellan could have ended the war that day, yet it would rage for another two-and-a-half years. Again, his hesitation to act cost dearly. He also failed to pursue Lee and press his advantage. He had plenty of reserves in Sharpsburg who were never called in. Despite McClellan's enormous popularity with his soldiers, Lincoln relieved "Little Mac" of command. McClellan was replaced by General Ambrose Burnside on 7 November 1862. Burnside immediately sought to differentiate himself from his predecessor by initiating a bold plan of attack. His Army would cross the Rappahannock River at Fredericksburg, Virginia using makeshift pontoon bridges delivered by boats, and seize the town. The ultimate objective was the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. However, the pontoon boats were delayed and the army stalled across the river from Fredericksburg. General Lee and his army wasted no time in fortifying an entrenched line behind a stone wall at Marye's Heights, the high ground overlooking the town. The 600 yard approach to the high ground offered no cover. An artillery officer assured Confederate General James Longstreet: "A chicken could not live in that field when we open on it." The Union troops finally crossed the river and captured and looted Fredericksburg on 13 December. General Burnside then ordered a direct frontal assault on Marye's Heights. General Lee could hardly believe the enemy would so foolishly march directly into his impregnable line of fire. The 28th Massachusetts was the only Irish regiment that had their green flag that day. The other regiments had sent their green flags for much needed repairs from wear and bullets, and the replacements had not yet arrived. These flags were worn over the course of many major engagements. The Irish Brigade saw action at Yorktown, Fair Oaks, Gaines' Mill, Allen's Farm, Savage's Station, White Oak Bridge, Glendale, Malvern Hills, and most recently at Antietam/Sharpsburg on 17 September. In place of the flags, General Meagher ordered the men to place sprigs of green boxwood leaves in their caps (an improvised substitute for shamrocks) to remember their Irish heritage. After two failed Union assaults on Marye's Heights, the next charge was that of the Irish Brigade. The 28th Massachusetts with their lone green flag formed the center of their line as they advanced, facing murderous fire. From behind the Confederate line at the stone wall, an Irish soldier in Colonel Robert McMillan's 24th Georgia cried out, "Oh God, what a pity! Here comes Meagher's fellows!" But McMillan, a native of Co. Antrim, told his troops: "Give it to them now, boys! Now's the time! Give it to them!" The 24th Georgia were also largely recruited from Irish immigrants, but their loyalty was to the south, where they had made their homes. Even thousands of miles from Ireland, Irishmen faced each other in battle. On came the Irish Brigade with a courage and determination that awed and touched friend and foe alike. They withdrew after staggering losses. There were a total of 14 doomed assaults on Marye's Heights. The Union lost 12,650 killed or wounded, while the south lost 4,200. Of all the failed charges, that of the Irish Brigade was the most remembered. The boys in blue who fell closest to the stone wall had sprigs of green boxwood in their caps. Opposing Confederate commanding General Lee said of them: Never were men so brave. They ennobled their race by their gallantry on that desperate occasion. Though totally routed, they reaped harvests of glory." General Lee’s subordinate, General George Pickett wrote: "The brilliant assault on Marye's Heights of their Irish Brigade was beyond description. We forgot they were fighting us, and cheer after cheer at their fearlessness went up all along our lines." Ironically, General Pickett would lead a likewise foolish and disastrous charge ordered by General Lee a few months later at the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on 3 July 1863. As the Union troops laid down fire that decimated the advancing Confederates, they vengefully chanted "Fredericksburg!" Pickett’s Charge is generally seen as the turning point of the war, which ended with Lee's surrender in April 1865. In June 1963, about a hundred years later, U.S. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy brought the second battle flag of the 69th NY to Ireland, where it remains. It stood displayed behind him as he addressed the Oireachtas, and paid tribute to the bravery and sacrifices of the Irish Brigade. His ancestors, like many of those men, had emigrated to the U.S. during the Great Hunger in Ireland. Written by Kevin RooneyAll rights reserved. Reproduction or duplication without permission of the author is prohibited and may result in legal action. See more

On this day 100 years ago Crown forces destroyed much of the centre of Cork city. These arson attacks were in reprisal for an ambush at Dillon’s Cross on the n...orthside of the city earlier that evening. The ambush was particularly audacious as it happened within 200 yards of the barracks and involved bombs being thrown at two lorries of RIC Auxiliaries. The bombs exploded and twelve men were wounded and one fatally. The burning of Cork is usually said to have begun with the burning of several buildings in proximity to the ambush site at about 9:30pm. Trams were stopped at Summerhill and Patrick Street and their occupants forced to alight and line up for search. The passengers were physically and verbally abused and some of them reported having their property stolen. These incidents seem to have preceded the arson attacks which began on Patrick Street a short time later. Throughout the night some 40 businesses and 300 residences were destroyed including City Hall and Carnegie Library. The destruction of the latter building meant the loss of many of the city’s historical records. Civilians were beaten and those who tried to interfere with the destruction of property, shot at. Firemen’s hoses were cut and firemen were even pinned down and wounded by gunfire in the vicinity of City Hall. Two IRA volunteers connected with the Dillon’s Cross ambush, brothers Cornelius and Jeremiah Delaney, were killed in their home by ‘men wearing overcoats and speaking in British accents’. Some 3m (150-200m today) worth of damage was caused excluding the value of looting, over 2000 jobs were lost and hundreds were left homeless. This was another substantial own goal by the British administration in Ireland. Not only had the forces tasked with maintaining law and order, lawlessly torched the commercial heart of a city, but the British administration then attempted, and failed, to deny the responsibility of Crown forces for the burning of Cork. #MichaelCollinsHouse #MichaelCollins #IrishWarofIndependence #WOICentenaryTimeline #Museum #IrishHistory #IrishHeritage #IrishCulture #DecadeofCentenaries #Ireland #Clonakilty #Cork #WestCork #OnthisDay #OTD #BurningofCork

A Beautiful Re-enactment last night of the burning of Cork a hundred years ago. Well done to Cork City Fire Brigade for coming on board with the Vintage tenders and the Piper playing a lament outside of Brown Thomas.

In 10 December 1922, a series of arson attacks led by the anti-Treaty IRA against houses and businesses of pro-Treaty people killed seven-year-old Emmett McGarry and severely injured his mother and twin sister. Emmett was a son of Sean McGarry TD, who wasn't there at the time. While sprinkling petrol downstairs, the assailants ignored warnings that Tomasina McGarry - a member of Cumann na Saoirse, the pro-Treaty version of Cumann na mBan - was upstairs with her three children and locked the door, trapping them inside. A guard and a couple of neighbours managed to rescue them, but Emmett didn't survive his wounds. The youngest child was unharmed.

100 years ago today the Republican leader Ernie O'Malley was captured in Inistioge and taken to Kilkenny city. This is his mugshot from that day. Next week, in... the Kilkenny People, Eoin Swithin Walsh recalls that arrest, the Auxillaries in Woodstock and the aftermath. Historic Kells Historic Inistioge Kilkenny Archaeological Society Historic Castlecomer War of Independence Ernie O'Malley's Journey through the Irish War of Independence See more