This year will be the Society's 6th time that we will hold Easter Sunday in Balbriggan.
The First was 1947, and followed by 1962, 1982, 2000 and 2011.
It is a great honour to be back in the society's 80th year in Balbriggan, so a big thank you to the parish and the people of the town.
We look back at the Sack of Balbriggan that took place on 20th September 1920.
The sack began around 11:00pm, as lorries loaded with Black and Tans arrived in the town from the barracks at Gormanstown and directly proceeded to shoot, burn and loot the town in a systematic spree of horrific violence.
In Clonard Street, 20 houses were destroyed, leaving helpless and terrified inhabitants to flee into the fields surrounding the town. Several pubs were looted and burned, including; Derham's Pub and McGowen's Pub on George's Hill. Local Businesses were also targeted, with Deeds and Templar Hosiers, (An English funded company) destroyed.
There was only one house targeted on Hampton Street, and it was that of John Gibbons, who was taken for questioning regarding the shooting in Smyth's Pub, of District Inspector Burke, RIC, and his brother Sergeant Burke, earlier that day. Also, at the barracks was the town barber James Lawless. Both men protesting their innocence.
They were later taken to Quay Street where they
were beaten to death. Their bodies were found the next morning as the smoke from the burnt-out town still rose in an eerie silence.
This is why as a society, we remember the sacrifice that these innocent men made, and we protect their reputations and have never forgotten throughout our history, The Sack of Balbriggan and the Lawless and Gibbons Families.
Chairman: Paul O' Brien.
Credit: Libraries Fingal.ie
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