New book highlights Mayo stories during Irish struggle for independence





Neill O’Neill



A new book will be launched on Friday, which gives a fascinating insight into the War of Independence and Civil War in Mayo.

In the 1940s and 1950s, Ernie O’Malley travelled around Ireland interviewing survivors of the struggle for independence.

These interviews are now being made available for the first time and they give a unique, first-hand account, of those turbulent years in Irish history and the people who fought for Irish independence.

Many of those who were interviewed at the time were unwilling to talk, but because Ernie O’Malley was such a well-known and respected figure, they consented to his interview requests.

Born in Castlebar in 1897, Ernie O’Malley was a medical student in Dublin when the 1916 Rising broke out. Although initially indifferent, he soon came to sympathise with the Republican viewpoint and joined the Irish Volunteers, later to become the IRA.

He quickly rose through the ranks and was soon organising the Volunteers around the country, reporting directly to Michael Collins and Richard Mulcahy.

In later decades, O’Malley took on the task of preserving the memories of those who lived through the War of Independence and Civil War, travelling around Ireland in the process.

The book ‘The men will talk to me’ focuses solely on Mayo, and is edited by Ernie’s son Cormac O’Malley and Vincent Keane. Cormac works as an international lawyer and has been extensively involved in ensuring that his father’s writings are made accessible to all those interested in Irish history.

Vincent Keane is from Westport, where he is an active member of the local historical society and is familiar with the families of many of the interviewees featured in the book.

There are ten fascinating interviews in‘The men will talk to me’, from across Mayo. They are with Michael Kilroy, Paddy Cannon, Paddy Duffy, Tommy Heavey and Broddie Malone from West Mayo; Tom Maguire from South Mayo; Matt Kilcawley and PJ Ruttledge from North Mayo and Johnny Grealy and Tom Carney from East Mayo.

The book launch will be performed by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny on Friday next, April 25, at 6.30pm in Mayo County Library, John Moore Road, Castlebar.