Kilkenny and Hugginstown commemorate RIC Barracks attack

One hundred years to the day, Hugginstown village commemorated the centenary of the successful attack and capture of Hugginstown RIC Barracks by the 1st and 7th battalions of the Kilkenny Brigade IRA on Sunday.
The Commemoration began at 2pm on Sunday with a march up the street by the Kilkenny ONE with their flag party followed by John-Joe Cullen’s 1st Kilkenny Brigade Flying Column and the Enniscorthy Historical Re-enactment Society.
They marched up to where the event was held. Willie Barron, chairman of the Gáirdín an Ghorta Historical Society, welcomed all and called on Peter Cleere, Cathaoirleach Kilkenny Co Council to say a few words.
Following the speeches Jim White, accompanied by Michael Power on accordion, gave a powerful rendition of Grace.
Willie said that the song was dedicated to Cumann na mBan, the almost forgotten women of Ireland who played a large part in the War of Independence.
Ned Hanrahan then sang the Michael Hogan Song which Willie Barron dedicated to the soldiers of Ireland.
Guest speaker, Jim Maher, who is Kilkenny’s foremost authority on the War of Independence spoke about the night of the attack and capture of the RIC Barracks in Hugginstown.
Jim gave a great insight about the explosive period in Irish history.
Jim then unveiled the plaque to commemorate the attack one of the pivotal moments of the War Of Independence.
Willie Barron asked Terri O’Donohue (who travelled from Kilmaley, Co Clare) to lay a wreath at the plaque in honour of her uncle Joe McMahon, who took part in the attack and capture of Hugginstown RIC Barracks and who was killed later that year in County Cavan.
John Holden from Dunnamaggin, whose father took part in the Barracks attack in Hugginstown, was asked to lay a wreath in honour of Captain Pat Walsh from Dunnamaggin Village who also took part in the Barrack Attack but was killed by the British Military at Knocknagress in 1921.
Fittingly, the buglers played the Last Post before Amhrán na bhFiann was played to bring proceedings to an end.
A crowd of around 500 people attended the event.
“There were people from all over Ireland, many with strong family connections to the great men and women who fought and died for Ireland’s Independence,” Willie Barron said.
We did not forget those people yesterday and we will never forget them now,” he added.