User:Cathar11/Republican Graves Belfast

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Republican Graves in Milltown Cemetry, Belfast include many well known deceased republicans. Most are family plots but some contain multiple burials and are known as Republican Plots. Some are maintained by the National Graves Association, Belfast. Some of these are included here

Harbinson Plot[edit]


On the 9th September 1867 the Belfast Fenian William Harbinson[1], died while interned in Belfast Prison. He is buried at Portmore, Ballinderry. In 1912, a celtic cross was erected to his memory in Milltown cemetery. This monument was also dedicated to other republicans who where imprisoned in County Antrim Jails. This plot contains the remains of 5 IRA Volunteers. [2]

  • Joe McKelvey was the leader of the IRA's Belfast Brigade from 1919-1922. He rejected the Anglo Irish Treaty and was made Chief of Staff of the Anti-Treaty IRA. He and Liam Mellows, Dick Barrett and Rory O’Connor were captured when Free State forces attacked the Four Courts in Dublin. Without charge or trial, on the 8th December 1922, they were executed by firing squad in reprisal for the assassination of Sean Hales. In 1924 He was re-interred in Milltown.
  • Sean McCartney was shot dead by British Forces on the 8th May 1921 in the Lappinduff Mountains, County Cavan. He was a member of a Belfast ‘Flying Column’ which operated there.
  • Terence Perry died in Parkhurst Prison, 7 July 1942.
  • Sean Gaffney, an IRA volunteer, died on the prison ship Al Rawdah, moored at Strangford Loug on the 18th November 1940.
  • Seamus ‘Rocky’ Burns who escaped from Derry jail, was shot by the RUC in Castle Street, died on 12 February 1944.[3]

County Antrim Memorial Plot[edit]

The County Antrim Memorial was unveiled, in 1966, on the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising. It lists the names of Antrim's republican dead from 1798 to 1966, many of whom are buried in graveyards around the country.[4]

Thirty Four IRA Volunteers who died on active service during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s are buried here.
Danny O’Neill, Joseph Cunningham, David McAuley, Albert Kavanagh, Martin Forsythe, Anthony Nolan, Gerard McDade, Michael Sloan, Tony Lewis, Thomas McCann, Sean O’Riordan, Patrick Campbell, Liam McParland, Michael Kane, Joseph Saunders, Charles Hughes, Tony Henderson, Billy Reid, Patrick McAdorey, Terence McDermott, Maura Meehan, Dorothy Maguire, Edward McDonnell, Martin Engelen, Joseph Fitzsimmons, Jackie McElhone, Michael Magee, Tony Jordan, John Finucane, John Dougal, Gerard Bell, Gerard Steele, Robert Dorrian and Joseph Magee.

New Republican Plot[edit]

In 1972 the new Republican Plot came into use in July of that year. This plot contains the remains of 77 Republicans who have died on active service or as a result of imprisonment or assassination, not only in Belfast but some as far away as Gibraltar. It includes those who died as a result of imprisonment or on Hunger Strike.
Interred in this plot are:[3]

  • Louis Scullion
  • James Reid*
  • Joseph Downey
  • Seamus Cassidy
  • Robert McCrudden
  • Michael Clarke
  • Anne Parker
  • Joesph McComiskey, James Quigley, Daniel McAreavey,John Donaghy, Joe McKinney, Bernard Fox, Francis Liggett, Anthony Campbell, James Sloan, James McCann, Patrick McCabe, Edward O’Rawe, Seamus Simpson, Brian Smyth, Francis Hall, Ann Marie Pettigrew, Patrick Mulvenna, Francis Dodds, James Bryson, Michael Marley, Patrick Teer, Martin Skillen, Gerard Fennell, James McDade, Brian Fox, John Kelly, John Stone, Robert Allsopp, Seamus McCusker, Laura Crawford, Paul Fox, Terence O’Neill, Bobby Sands, Joe McDonnell, Kieran Doherty, Sean McIlvenna, Jim McKernan, Mairead Farrell, Dan McCann, Sean Savage, Sean Bailey, James O’Neill, James McGrillen, Sean McDermott, Danny Lennon, Francis Fitzsimmons, Joeseph Surgeoner, Paul Marlow, Brendan O’Callaghan, Tommy Tolan, Paul McWilliams, John McMahon, Denis Brown, Jackie Mailey, James Mulvenna, Lawrence Montgomery, Frankie Donnelly, Kevin Delaney, John Dempsey, Larry Marley, Finbar McKenna, Kevin McCracken, Kevin Brady, Brendan Davidson, Sean Bateson, Francis Ryan, Patrick McBride, Pearse Jordan, Thomas Begley and Pat McGeown.[5]

Ned Trodden Grave[edit]

Eamonn 'Ned' Trodden joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood at an early age. Later he became a member of the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Republican Army. At 2.30am on the 25th September 1920, members of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and 'B' Specials raiding party entered his home and shot him dead.[6][7]

Sean Gaynor Grave[edit]

Seán Gaynor joined 'B' Company, Belfast Brigade in 1918 and remained an active member of the IRA until his death. In the early hours of Saturday morning, 28 September 1920, an RIC raiding party burst into his home at 236 Springfeld Road and shot him dead. He was aged 24. Sean was buried in Milltown Cemetery.[6]

Sean O'Carroll Grave[edit]

Seán O'Carroll, a native of Celbridge County Kildare was a member of the Belfast Brigade of the IRA. On the 30th November 1920 he was arrested by Black and Tans in Ardee, County Louth. Seán's body was later found in a laneway leading to the local Barracks.[6]

Seamus Ledlie Grave[edit]

Seamus Ledlie, a volunteer attached to 'C' Company, 1st Battalion, Belfast Brigade was shot dead on 11 July 1921 in the area of Norfolk Street-Cupar Street while attempting to defend his community from attack.[6]

Freddie Fox Grave[edit]

Freddie Fox was born in Lisburn and came to reside at Durham Street, Belfast. He became a volunteer with 'B' Company, 1st Battalion, Belfast Brigade. On the 6th August 1921, he along with a comrade were "shaddowing a member of the RUC who was suspected as being a member of a murder gang" [6]. The RUC man became aware of the surveillance which was being carried out by the IRA and shots were fired. Freddie was fatally wounded while his comrade, Frank Crummy, although wounded, managed to escape. Freddie died nine days later, on the 15th August 1921, in the Royal Victoria Hospital[6][8]

Murtagh McAstocker Grave[edit]

During the early 1920s Murtagh McAstocker was a volunteer in 'B' Company, 2nd Battalion of the IRA in Belfast. He was to the fore in protecting Belfast nationalists from attack. On the 24th September 1921 he was shot dead by loyalists while walking on Clonmallon Street, going towards the Newtownards Road. He was buried in Milltown Cemetery with full IRA honours.[6][9]

Sean Martin Grave[edit]

Sean Martin, a member of the Auxiliary IRA, came from the Ballymacarrett area of Belfast. On the 25th April 1940 Sean was delivering a lecture on the use of grenades to his comrades. Realising that there was a fault in the grenade and that it was about to explode, Sean, first shouted a warning to his comrades. On attempting to throw the grenade into the street, he realised that children were playing outside. Volunteer Sean Martin, to save the lives of his comrades and the children, threw himself on to the grenade to cushion the blast. He is buried in a family grave in Milltown Cemetery.[10]

Joe Malone Grave[edit]

Joe Malone was born at Cullingtree Road in West Belfast in 1918. As an active member of the IRA's Belfast Brigade and in 1939 he travelled to England as a part of the IRA's 'Expeditionary Force'. In May 1939 he was arrested and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for possession of explosives. Subject to brutal treatment in Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight, he died two years and eight months later on the 21st January 1942.[6]

Gerard O'Callaghan Grave[edit]

Gerard O Callaghan was shot dead by members of the RUC at a farmhouse at Hannahstown on the 31st August 1942. He was killed as he prepared to assemble and dispatch a large quantity of weapons to IRA Units throughout the North.[11]

Winifred Carney Grave[edit]

Winifred Carney, a lifelong socialist who died on the 21st November 1943, was a member of the Irish Citizen Army and Cumann na mBan. She was a comrade and secretary to Commadant James Connolly. Winifred was a combatant during the 1916 Easter Rising and was the last woman to leave the G.P.O.[6]

Sean Doyle Grave[edit]

Sean Doyle, a member of Na Fianna Éireann in Belfast,was attending an arms lecture when a weapon was accidentally discharged killing him instantly. He died on the 10th April 1940.[6][12]

Sean McCaughey Grave[edit]

Seán McCaughey was sentenced to death by a Free State military court on a charge of assault and wrongful arrest which was later commuted to Life Imprisonment. He spent 4 1/2 years naked in a prison cell with nothing to wear but a blanket before embarking on a Hunger and Thirst Strike. He died on the 11th May 1946 in Portlaoise Jail.[6]

Gallery: Graves under the care of the National Graves Association, Belfast[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ http://joegraham.rushlightmagazine.com/williamharbinson.html
  2. ^ Antrim's Patriot Dead 1797-1953 by National Graves Association, Belfast, Page 25
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference anphoblacht.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Antrim's Patriot Dead 1797-1953 by National Graves Association, Belfast, Pages 7, & 9
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference ReferenceA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Belfast Graves, April 1985
  7. ^ http://www.southantrimgaa.com/The%20Early%20Years.html
  8. ^ Also Andersonstown News November 2008, http://belfastpix.com/aetopia/WebObjects/ANGShop.woa/wa/p?p=kQSQI-HwLaUXvM4RMALbyHyNGOslFHjKbHPEEKMiZ1o.a
  9. ^ http://www.btinternet.com/~m.mcastocker/
  10. ^ A Rebel Voice. A History of Belfast Republicanism 1925-1972, Page 67. By Raymond Quinn. ISBN 0-9535241-0-8
  11. ^ The IRA by Tim Pat Coogan, ISBN 0-00-638401-3 Page 182
  12. ^ http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/viggiani/images/Nuove%2520foto/PIRA%2520Doyle%2520Sean%2520-%2520Brittons%2520Drive,%25202006.JPG&imgrefurl=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/viggiani/west_plaque.html&h=1125&w=1500&sz=202&tbnid=5SyR3kAoyaf8fM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsean%2Bdoyle&hl=en&usg=__ZYsnQrbWvEkUaFVjb3KEoAdFHUs=&ei=lr_5Sr2aNcet4QbNpfGqCw&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=8&ct=image&ved=0CBUQ9QEwBw


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