Search Results for 'Michael Griffin'

This Sunday, January 30, marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most shocking atrocities of the Northern Ireland conflict - Bloody Sunday.

Galway City Museum will reopen its doors on Tuesday May 18 at 10am. Visitors will have access to both the ground floor and first floor galleries. The second floor will remain closed until the new Sea Science exhibition works have been completed.

THIS WEEK marks the centenary of one of the darkest episodes in the history of Galway as violence erupted on its streets resulting in a “night of terror” that left three young men dead.

Sunday November 21 1920, known as ‘Bloody Sunday’, marked one of the most significant events in the Irish War of Independence. The day began with an IRA operation, organised by Michael Collins, to assassinate the so called ‘Cairo Gang’ - a team of undercover British agents, working and living in Dublin. IRA members went to a number of addresses, and shot dead 14 people including nine army officers.

The annual commemoration in memory of Fr Michael Griffin takes place this Sunday in Barna, proceeded by a memorial Mass in Barna Church at 12 noon.

Galway City Museum needs your help to tell Galway’s revolutionary story in a new exhibition entitled Revolution in Galway, 1913-1923, due to open in Spring 2016.  This exhibition offers Galway people the chance to have their story told alongside the national story that we are already so familiar with.  The Revolutionary years leading up to the Easter Rising of 1916 through to the War of Independence and the Irish Civil War had a major impact on the shaping of modern Ireland. What part did Galway play? What steered ordinary Irish people on the path towards Irish Nationalism? 

The annual commemoration in honour of Fr Michael Griffin, a Galway priest abducted and killed by British forces during the War of Independence, takes place in Barna this Sunday.

On this day, February 7, in the year 1886, St Joseph’s Church was consecrated. It was to be the main church of the Parish of Rahoon, which at that time extended from Corcullen to Furbo. There were already two chapels in the parish, one in Bushypark and one in Barna, and they served their own areas. For those parishioners living closer to the town, there was no designated church. Some would attend Mass in the chapel of the Presentation Convent, but it was not very large and worshippers often had to kneel on the ground outside, irrespective of the weather conditions. The parish had a big population and major annual events such as confirmation had to be moved to the Pro-Cathedral.

Ninety years ago this week, Galway was abuzz with the news that Fr Griffin, a junior curate for the parishes of Bushy Park and Barna, apparently responding to a sick call, went out into the howling gale in the company of three men who were said to have trench coats and rubber boots, and disappeared. The suspicion was that he had been decoyed from his house. It was significant that he did not take the Blessed Sacrament with him. His housekeeper heard very loud knocking as if with the butt ends of revolvers on the front door near midnight, as did one of the neighbours. Apparently Fr Griffin opened his window, spoke briefly to the men, and then left with them shortly afterwards.

Galway Republican Sinn Féin will mark the 88th anniversary of the murder of Fr Michael Griffin by British forces this Sunday with a march and wreath laying.