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Michael Flannery 30th Anniversary Commemoration Report
A
commemoration was held to on Sunday, October 6th to mark
the 30th anniversary of the death Michael Flannery. A
crowd of over 30 people assembled at Mount St. Mary's
cemetery in Flushing Queens. The day began with co-chair
Pat Williams asking Padraig Gill, PRO of the NY
Tipperary Hurling club, to come forward and place the
Michael Flannery Cup beside the Celtic cross headstone.
The cup is awarded each year to the victors of the New
York Senior Hurling Championship. Tipperary are current
back-to-back champions 2023 and 2024. Tipperary are also
famously the only New York hurling team to do five in a
row 1952-56
Joe Flaherty chaired from
that point forward. He welcomed everyone and thanked
them for attending. He made special mention of a
commemoration that had occurred earlier that day at home
in Ireland to also mark Mike's anniversary. This
commemoration was held at the Liam Lynch monument
Goatenbridge, Co. Tipperary. Those assembled in New York
gave a round of applause to Tom Hennessey and friends
for organizing this. Sean Scott of Ballyforan, Co.
Galway gave the main oration there.
Joe then briefly gave some
background on Michael Flannery stating that he, Michael,
had fought in both the tan war and counter revolution
which followed. That Michael had been captured by Free
State forces and was imprisoned during the executions of
Mellows, McKelvey, O'Connor and Barrett. All of these
events had left an indelible mark on Michael. Joe
finished by stating that Mike had never forgotten his
oath to the All Ireland Republic nor its people.
Roger Slattery was the called
forward to read the 1916 Proclamation. Roger is a past
President of the Tipperary Association. Michael Flannery
himself had once held this esteemed position. Next to
step forward was Mairead ni Dhubhda who read out the
Easter Proclamation as Gaelige. James McGlashin read a
biography of Michael Flannery and he was followed by
Yvonne Heneghan reading a biography Pearl Flannery.
Then began the wreath laying
ceremony. The first wreath, on behalf of the Flannery
family was set down by his niece Geraldine Moloney.
Brian McCamley then laid a wreath for the O'Donovan
Rossa GAA, Queens. Norbert Hennessey was then asked to
come forward in order to place his wreath on behalf of
the Tipperary N. & B. Association of New York, of which
Norbert has recently been made President. Norbert has
been a stalwart supporter of all things Tipperary since
his arrival in New York in 1972. Mike Costello next
stepped forward in order to place a wreath on behalf of
Republican veteran activists and the National Irish
Freedom Committee. Mike has been an activist for Irish
freedom for over five decades. He was a contemporary of
Michael Flannery's first in Irish Northern Aid and later
the NIFC.
Norbert Hennessey then
returned in order to give a short oration. In the course
of which, he laid down Michael Flannery's history with
both the Tipperary Association, the Tippery hurling team
and the GAA in general. He said Michael was a steadfast
man. He also noted the great importance that county
organizations and GAA clubs had, and continue to have,
for Irish diaspora in America. Our native games, as
promoted by the GAA are the cultural foundations of the
Irish American community. Joe Flaherty then stated the
closing remarks noting that the day was also the 20th
anniversary of the death of George Harrison. George was
a great friend of Michael Flannery's and had also been
his codefendant in the IRA 5 Trail in 1982. He later
co-founded the NIFC with Joe Stynes and Mike Flannery in
1987.
The day of commemoration then
continued at The Wild Goose in Woodside, Queens. Here an
historical/cultural event took place. An historical
display of Irish Republican memorabilia was available
for viewing prior. This included old photographs,
posters, and mementos. A number of copies from the 1970s
era An Phoblacht, Noraid and Clan na Gael documents and
other material related to the Irish struggle for
freedom. Some of the more interesting items were minutes
of the founding meeting of Irish Northern Aid and
correspondence from Mike Quill of Transport Workers
Union to Michael Flannery for the Frank Ryan Committee
(1948). Joe O'Broin chaired this portion of the day. He
began by welcoming and thanking all who had attended.
He then introduced James
McGlashin of the Gaelic American. James produced a video
editing footage of Michael Flannery. These had
originally been filmed by the late Peter Farley of the
NIFC. It ended with Michaels last recorded statement to
Irish America (1994) on the importance maintaining
principle. It is a credit to both McGlashin's production
work and the personality of Flannery himself, that the
entire room watched silently in rapt attention. This
video, along with a number of others is available to
view on the Gaelic American youtube page. Joe O Broin
then introduced John Ridge, John is noted historian who
specializes in the Irish history of New York. He is also
the President of the New York Irish History Roundtable.
He was also a character witness for Patrick Mullin
during the IRA 5 trail. John spoke on the importance of
commemorations to the Irish American community. He also
noted that the Irish were noted for attending these
despite any poor weather. That they were acts of
perseverance because the Irish viewed commemorating
their patriot dead as a 'sacred duty'. John told of the
many organizations that Flannery worked for but making
it clear that the cause of Irish freedom was always
present. Archives of John Ridge's Irish American
historical collections can be accessed thru NYU. After,
a rebel ballad session followed by Allen Gogarty which
was enjoyed by all.
The commemorative day was
sponsored by Flannery family members, Cumann na Saoirse
Naisiunta (National Irish Freedom Committee), Gaelic
American, O'Donovan Rossa GAA, Fenian Graves
Association, Radio Free EIreann, Tipperary N. & B.
Association and the NY Tipperary Hurling Club.
Organizers Joe O Broin, Pat Williams, James McGlashin
and Joe Flaherty wish to give Special thanks to the
Flannery and Molony family members: Geraldine Moloney,
AnnMarie Moloney, Saoirse Moloney-Stevenson and Yvonne
Heneghan. Our Guest speaker John Ridge. Musician Allen
Gogarty. The excellent staff of the Wild Goose for all
their assistance and everyone else who helped make the
day such a success!
Link to Flannery Video:
https://youtu.be/-WoRjUXQT-A?si=FJRe6PauOmQPR9S7
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“The Rare Ould Times” From The Irish People newspaper, Feb. 9, 1991
By the late Joe Stynes
It was the year 1922, and the IRA was split in two. The Company I belonged to, C Company of the 2nd Battalion, had several of its members go over to the Free State Army. Several became neutral, and the rest remained in the IRA, loyal to their oath of allegiance to defend the Republic against all enemies, foreign and domestic. The IRA had taken over the Four Courts when they established their headquarters.
On June 27,1922, C Company of the 2nd Battalion, Dublin Brigade, meeting at 42 North Great George's Street, were ordered to remain for the night. Next morning, on orders from Lloyd George, Prime Minister of England, the Free State Army with British cannon attacked the Four Courts and the fight was on between the Free State and the IRA. The 2nd Battalion took over O'Connell Street and Parnell Street.
Our Company C was assigned to Healy's Public House in Parnell Street, where we set up barricades inside and outside the building. Before we left 42 N. Great George's Street, I cycled home to get two Lee-Enfield rifles. Our equipment was very poor; we had only five or six rifles, seven revolvers and one machine gun. The first night we were attacked by the Domestic Enemy with two armored cars. We withstood the attack, but not before they had blown away the barricade on one of the windows. We began boring holes in the walls connecting the building. When there was sufficient opening, I went into the next house, and crouched up in the corner was a young woman and her children. I assumed nothing would happen and brought her food and milk. She was so grateful she gave me a piece of caul (it's something that comes with the birth of a baby) and told me it would keep me safe. I still have it. . --- continue
Saoirse Newspaper
Saoirse – Irish Freedom is the voice of the Irish Republican Movement.
The monthly newspaper of the Republican Movement, it takes its name from
Irish Freedom – Saoirse, a Fenian paper which first appeared in November
1910 and continued as a monthly publication until December 1914 when it
was suppressed by the British authorities. Among the contributors to
that paper were Bulmer Hobson, PS Hegerty, Terence McSwiney, Pádraig
Pearse, Ernest Blythe, Piaras Beaslaí, Pat Devlin, Fred Cogley, JW Good
and Roger Casement.
Irish Republicans have always attempted to produce a newspaper, as a
means of speaking to the people. As revolutionaries we have had to rely
on our own resources to counter-act the status quo message promoted by
the Establishment media.
More than 200 years ago, on January 4, 1792, the first number of the
Northern Star appeared. The paper, produced by the Belfast Society of
United Irishmen, promoted unity among Irish people of all religions. It
was a popular target for the opponents of Irish unity and freedom. The
proprietors of the Northern Star and its printer, John Rabb, were
charged with sedition in January, 1793. Its offices were again raided on
September 16, 1796 in a general clamp-down on the United Irishmen in
Belfast. The presses of the Northern Star were smashed by a pro-British
militia on May 19, 1797.
A new paper, The Press, appeared on September 28, 1797.
In a short article in the first issue of The Republic, on December 13,
1906, produced by the Dungannon Clubs, Bulmer Hobson wrote:
Ireland today claims her place among the free peoples of the earth. She
has never surrendered that claim, nor will ever surrender it; and today
forces are working in Ireland that will not be still until her claim is
acknowledged and her voice heard in the councils of the nations.
To that end The Republic has been started. It has not been brought into
existence to make a party among the political parties of Ireland, nor to
carry on a party propaganda nor to waste time quarreling with any
political party. It has been started to gather together all that is best
and greatest, most progressive and far-seeing in Ireland round the
Republican banner and to build up, not a Republican party, but an
independent Irish Republic.
We stand for an Irish Republic because we see that no compromise with
England, no repeal of the Union, no concession of Home Rule or
Devolution will satisfy the national aspiration of the Irish people nor
allow the unrestricted mental, moral and material development of our
country. National independence is our right; we ask no more and we will
accept no less.
An independent Irish Republic, then, is our aim – governed by the whole
people of Ireland in the interests of the whole people, without let or
hindrance, supervision or interference on the part of any other power
under heaven. We owe allegiance to no country save Ireland, and we will
yield none to any other.
The old hate and the old bigotry that have kept Catholic and Protestant
divided – the old grovelling spirit of Toadyism must be killed and
forgotten by the people. The ineffective and outward political
movements, Unionist and Nationalist, must be superseded and silenced
and, in their place, a national movement, virile and militant, that
recognises no creed save that of Irishman, and no party save the nation,
must be established.
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