Posted 15/12/2015

John Devoy Memorial Unveiled in Naas

Sunday the 25th of October 2015

The unveiling of a new sculptural memorial to Co. Kildare patriot and financier of the 1916 rising, John Devoy, took place in Naas on Sunday the 25th of October.

While most towns have statutes to immortalise their local heroes gracing their streets or squares, John Devoy is the first such memorial in the county town. The Mayor of County Kildare, Cllr. Brendan Weld was joined by US Ambassator, Kevin O'Malle in pulling the chord to unveil the lifesize bronze figure in front of a large crowd gathered at Poplar Square at 2.00 p.m. 

The unveiling was also attended by County Kildare public representatives, representatives of the John Devoy Memorial Committees of New York and Naas, Kildare County Council, Kildare Decade of Commemorations Committee, Kill Local History Group and Naas Local History Group  who funded the plinth for the memorial.

Apart form dignitaries, local historians and those connected to the various committees, a large local crowd turned out on a dull drizzly Sunday to witness the unveiling which was MC'd by Marian Higgins, Kildare Co. Librarian. Marian introduced speeches from the Mayor of County Kildare, US Ambassador Kevin O'Malley, as well as members of the New York delegation. Music was provided by St. Conleth's Pipe Band.

Seamus Curran and the John Devoy Memorial Committee

The John Devoy Memorial Committee was founded in Naas by local man Seamus Curran in 2008. The Committee struggled to attract funding in the recessionary period and the County Kildare Association of New York offered help. A New York John Devoy Memorial Committee was set up as a subcommittee of the County Kildare Association and quite quickly raised $45,000 to erect the statue. The location for the monument was chosen by the Naas and New York Committees with the agreement of Kildare County Council.

Cast by sculptor Jarlath Daly the life-size statue of John Devoy was erected near to where Devoy worked and across the street from Our Lady and St. David’s Catholic Church, where he was condemned from the pulpit, in 1865, by Fr. Hughes for his political activities in the name of Irish freedom.

The project will no doubt revive interest in this great hero, largely forgotten by history, as the Irish at home and around the world prepare for the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising.

Week-long series of events

The Kildare County Council Decade of Commemorations Committee organised a week-long series of events to coincide with the unveiling and the visit by members of the New York Co. Kildare Association to the county. Events included:

Tom Nelson launch his book Through peace and war. Kildare Co. Council in the years of revolution, 1899-1926, in Áras Chill Dara, Devoy Park, Naas. on Monday 19 October, at 12 noon,

Terry Golway’s, Irish rebel: John Devoy and America’s fight for Ireland’s freedom, was re-published by Merrion Press, Sallins, to mark the occasion.

A new book by Kildare Historian in Residence, James Durney, Foremost and ready: Kildare and the 1916 Rising is likewise planned to coincide with the event.

Kildare County Council hosted two nights of entertainment in Naas Town Hall for the US visitors and local residents:‘The Percy French Story,’ by Owen C. Lynch and Mona Conroy was performed at 8.00 p.m., Friday 23 October and Saturday 24 October. Earlier on Saturday, the Co. Kildare Federation of Local History Groups hosted their annual seminar in Kilcullen Heritage Centre, at 11.30 am. Guest speaker, Adhamhnán Ó Súilleabháin, deliver an illustrated talk on his grandfather, 1916 veteran, Domhnall Ua Buachalla, from Maynooth.

The week-long festivities culminated on Sunday with the unveiling of the John Devoy statue at 2.00 p.m., Poplar Square, Naas, followed by the launch, at 4.00 p.m., of the Co. Kildare 1916-2016 Programme.

Attendees at the unveiling included:

Memorial: Jarlath Daly (Sculptor); John Flood, Seamus Byrne (All Stone)

Defence Forces: Lft. Brian Lane and Colour Party; Lt.-Col. Cyril Whelan
2016 Project Office - An Ceannfort Stephen MacEoin, Michael O' Reilly

McAuley Place:
Catherine, Mark

Music: Philip Scott; St. Conleth's Pipe Band O.N.E. - Philip and Anthony Coy

New York: Mike and Anne Flood, Pat and Kathleen Smyth, Garrett
Doyle and all from the Kildare Association of New York

Naas & Co. Kildare:
Naas Local History Group, Mona Conroy, Owen C. Lynch, Tony
and Mark at Naas Printing; Tony Keane (Photographer), Bill Clear and Naas Tidy Towns.
Sgt. Gerald Goode,Inspector Glennon and Naas Gardaí
Conor Graham, Merrion Press; Terry Golway; Adhamhnán Ó
Súilleabháin; Lord Edward's Own Historical Re-enactment Group

US Embassy: Ambassador O'Malley - Staff: Caitriona, Debra and Chris

Kildare Library and Arts Service: Mario Corrigan, Lucina Russell, Karel Kiely, Damien Dollard, Ronan O'Dwyer, Eoghan Doyle, Hilda Minchin, Historian in Residence James Durney,

Kildare County Council:
David Reel, Patricia McNeela, Michael Hurley, Josh Halligan, Annette Aspell, Pat McCormack, Decade of Commemorations Committee, Co. Heritage Officer Bridget Loughlin,  Chief Executive Peter Carey, Directors of Services Eamon O'Sullivan, Peter Minnock

Public representatives: Mayor, Cllr. Brendan Weld, Cllr Fiona O'Loughlin, Cllr. Anne Breen

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