The Mid Clare Brigade Commemoration Committee in line with government restrictions and guidelines with respect to the Covid-19 pandemic, have postponed and all commemoration events in the Mid Clare Brigade area as part of ‘The Decade of Centenaries’ programme.
Thee events will not go ahead in 2020 and are deferred to 2021 with dates to be confirmed.
The committee, community and families were fortunate in February to hold our first event of the year remembering the events surrounding the death of Brigade vice Commandant Martin Devitt at Crowe’s Bridge, Inagh in 1920.
Amongst a number of events planned to be commemorated this year, including the Moanreel and Moananagh ambushes, the main event to be marked in September is the 100th anniversary of the Rineen Ambush, one of the major actions by the 4th Battalion Mid Clare Brigade during the War of Independence, not just in Clare but the country, resulting in the death of five R.I.C. and one Black and Tan constable but also the deadly reprisals and burnings by Crown Forces in Ennistymon, Lahinch and Miltown Malbay during which six civilians and Battalion vice Commandant Pake Lehane were killed.
We will commemorate these events as we did this April with our remembrance of the Miltown Malbay Canada Cross shootings on our social media platforms including Facebook and our new website www.midclarebrigade.ie recently built by committee member, Clare Footballer, Gordon Kelly.
The committee outlined in our planning that a central focus of our commemorations in 2020 is the major role during the War of Independence of Cumann na mBan. A meaningful event was in discussion in tandem with schools projects and planning and this too is on hold but will be revisited once schools reopen in September.
All of the Mid Clare Brigade events based on government instructions, in particular with regard to social distancing we will proceed with in 2021. We will not forget the struggles of our forbearers during the War of Independence at this time of difficulty for our communities in Clare and our country.
For further information please visit our website midclarebrigade.ie or Facebook page @MCBClare2020
