Fergal O'Hanlon
Encyclopedia
Feargal O'Hanlon
Feargal O'Hanlon (Irish
: Feargal Ó hAnnluain (b. 2 February 1936, Ballybay
, County Monaghan
, Ireland
– d. 1 January 1957, Brookeborough
, County Fermanagh
, Northern Ireland
) was a member/volunteer
in the Pearse Column of the Irish Republican Army.
from a staunchly republican family, Feargal O'Hanlon was a draughtsman
employed by Monaghan County Council, and was a Gaelic football
er.
while taking part in an attack on the Royal Ulster Constabulary
(R.U.C.) barracks in Brookeborough
, County Fermanagh
during the Border Campaign
. Several other IRA members were wounded in the botched attack. The IRA fled the scene in a dump truck. They abandoned it near the border. They left South and O'Hanlon, both then unconscious, in a cow byre, and crossed into the Republic of Ireland on foot for help for their comrades. The wounded IRA men were treated as "car crash victims" by sympathetic staff in the Mater Misericordiae Hospital
in Dublin.
In the ballad of THE PATRIOT GAME, Fergal O'Hanlon of Co. Monaghan is recalling how he came to join the I.R.A. at the age of 14 years. "Oh my name is O'Hanlon, I've just gone 16, my home is in Monaghan, thats where I was weaned" it later goes on to say "its nearly 2 years since I've wandered away, with the local battalion of the bold IRA, I'de read of our heros and wanted the same so I took up my part in the patriot game. And now as I lie here my body all holes, I think of those traitors who bargained with souls, and I wish that my rifle had given the same to those quislings who sold out the Patriots Game"
A marble monument now stands at the spot where South and O'Hanlon lost their lives. An annual lecture has been held in memory of O’Hanlon since 1982, and approximately 500 people attended a 50th commemoration of the men's deaths in January 2007 in Limerick
.
Dominic Behan
's ballad
, The Patriot Game
tells the story of Fergal O'Hanlon.
His brother Eighneachán Ó hAnnluain was elected a Sinn Féin
abstentionist TD in the 1957 general election to Dáil Éireann
. His sister Pádraigín Uí Mhurchadha is a Sinn Féin
Councillor on Monaghan Urban Council.
Feargal O'Hanlon (Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
: Feargal Ó hAnnluain (b. 2 February 1936, Ballybay
Ballybay
Ballybay, County Monaghan is a town in County Monaghan in Ireland, centered on the crossroads of the R183 and R162 regional roads. The name in English means "The Mouth of the Ford of the Birches".- Town layout :...
, County Monaghan
County Monaghan
County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
– d. 1 January 1957, Brookeborough
Brookeborough
Brookeborough is a village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It lies between Enniskillen and Belfast just off the A4 trunk road, about five miles from the County Tyrone boundary....
, County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
) was a member/volunteer
Volunteer (Irish republican)
Volunteer, often abbreviated Vol., is a term used by a number of Irish republican paramilitary organisations to describe their members. Among these have been the various forms of the Irish Republican Army and the Irish National Liberation Army...
in the Pearse Column of the Irish Republican Army.
Background
A keen Irish language activistIrish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
from a staunchly republican family, Feargal O'Hanlon was a draughtsman
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
employed by Monaghan County Council, and was a Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
er.
Brookeborough raid
Aged 20, he was killed along with Seán SouthSeán South
Seán South was a member of an IRA military column led by Sean Garland on a raid against a Royal Ulster Constabulary barracks in Brookeborough, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland on New Year's Day, 1957...
while taking part in an attack on the Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
(R.U.C.) barracks in Brookeborough
Brookeborough
Brookeborough is a village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It lies between Enniskillen and Belfast just off the A4 trunk road, about five miles from the County Tyrone boundary....
, County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
during the Border Campaign
Border Campaign (IRA)
The Border Campaign was a campaign of guerrilla warfare carried out by the Irish Republican Army against targets in Northern Ireland, with the aim of overthrowing British rule there and creating a united Ireland.Popularly referred to as the Border Campaign, it was also referred to as the...
. Several other IRA members were wounded in the botched attack. The IRA fled the scene in a dump truck. They abandoned it near the border. They left South and O'Hanlon, both then unconscious, in a cow byre, and crossed into the Republic of Ireland on foot for help for their comrades. The wounded IRA men were treated as "car crash victims" by sympathetic staff in the Mater Misericordiae Hospital
Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin
The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital is a major teaching hospital, based at Eccles Street, Phibsboro, on the northside of Dublin, Ireland...
in Dublin.
In the ballad of THE PATRIOT GAME, Fergal O'Hanlon of Co. Monaghan is recalling how he came to join the I.R.A. at the age of 14 years. "Oh my name is O'Hanlon, I've just gone 16, my home is in Monaghan, thats where I was weaned" it later goes on to say "its nearly 2 years since I've wandered away, with the local battalion of the bold IRA, I'de read of our heros and wanted the same so I took up my part in the patriot game. And now as I lie here my body all holes, I think of those traitors who bargained with souls, and I wish that my rifle had given the same to those quislings who sold out the Patriots Game"
Reaction
O'Hanlon's mother remained firmly committed to the IRA and was hurt by the suggestion that there was an alternative to IRA activity or that her son was anything other than an Irish hero.A marble monument now stands at the spot where South and O'Hanlon lost their lives. An annual lecture has been held in memory of O’Hanlon since 1982, and approximately 500 people attended a 50th commemoration of the men's deaths in January 2007 in Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
.
Dominic Behan
Dominic Behan
Dominic Behan was an Irish songwriter, short story writer, novelist and playwright who wrote in both Irish and English. He was also a committed socialist and Irish Republican...
's ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
, The Patriot Game
The Patriot Game
"The Patriot Game" is an Irish ballad about an incident during the Border Campaign launched by the Irish Republican Army during the 1950s to bring about the reunification of Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland. It was written by Dominic Behan, younger brother of playwright Brendan...
tells the story of Fergal O'Hanlon.
His brother Eighneachán Ó hAnnluain was elected a Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
abstentionist TD in the 1957 general election to Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
. His sister Pádraigín Uí Mhurchadha is a Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
Councillor on Monaghan Urban Council.