NEWS FROM SAOIRSE (freedom). The Voice of the Irish Republican Movement. Republican Sinn Féin http://rsf.ie 223 Parnell Street, Dublin 1 229 Falls Road, Belfast

FUAIR Séamus bás ar an 12ú Deire Fómhair i dteach a mhic, Naoise, i nDú Thuama, Béal an Átha, Co Mhuigheó. Bhí 88 mbliain slánaithe aige agus ba mhór an chúis bróin do Phoblachtaigh a bhás.

In his pursuit of social justice, Séamus sought the co-operative organisation of society based on the Rochdale Principles, seeking the ownership of an economic unit of production for each person.

An intellectual and a visionary he formulated the Comhar na gComharsan (Neighbours' Cooperation) philosophy which he advocated strongly on the IRA Radio in 1939, in articles contributed to The United Irishman, An Phoblacht and SAOIRSE and in many lectures and public addresses.

Ba bhreá iad na h-ailt a d'fhoilsigh sé i nGaeilge bhinn bhlasta Mhuigheó ar bheatha agus ar bhás Sheáin Mhic Chonmghaile ar stailc ocrais. B'éachtach an méid scríobhnóireachta a rinne sé i nGaeilge ar cur síos ar Ghluaiseacht na Poblachta, go fuí agus an bás ag druidim leis. D'éirí leis an clabhsúr a chur ar a chuid oibre i ndeire thiar, ámhthach. Buíochas mór le Dia.

Séamus was waked in his son Naoise's house and the removal took place next day to Doohoma Parish Church, The coffin was draped in the Irish Tricolour.

On October 14 following Mass in Irish, the veteran Republican's remains were escorted the two miles to the local cemetery. A lone piper, Benny Canavan, led the cortege and the Guard of Honour was composed of Republican Sinn Féin members from Mayo and Galway.

Dan Hoban of Newport, Co Mayo chaired the graveside ceremonies. A wreath on behalf of Republican Sinn Féin was laid by Tomás Ó Curraoin, Bearna, Gaillimh agus dúirt Seán Mac an Iomaire deichniúir Phaidrín as Ghaeilge.

The Chairperson sympathised with the sons and daughters of Séamus Ó Mongáin in their sad loss which was, he said also a great loss to the Republican Movement. Séamus had joined as a young man and served faithfully right up to the time of his death.

His first actions with Óglaigh na hÉireann were in Liverpool in the heart of enemy territory in the mid-1930s. (His father had to emigrate there due to hard times in Ireland.)

Later he himself had to flee Liverpool in 1939 and in Dublin he became attached to IRA Headquarters Staff. With Seán McNeela of Ballycroy, Co Mayo he operated the Republican Radio and while broadcasting in December 1939 they were both arrested and sentenced to imprisonment.

While serving that term Seán McNeela and Tony Darcy of Galway died on hunger strike for political status. Séamus had a wife, Máire and a young daughter at this time. Máire was deeply involved in the Movement and was a strong agitator on the streets of Dublin during the hunger strike.

Máire was a close friend of Jackie Griffith of Manchester who was machine-gunned to death on a Dublin street by the Broy Harriers. This was a major factor in Máire's having a nervous breakdown and a serious health problem for the remainder of her life.

Séamus was interned without trial in the Curragh Concentration Camp on the completion of his jail sentence. Following his release in 1945 he secured work building stacks of turf in the Phoenix Park, Dublin and soon rose to the rank of supervisor.

He then employed ex-internees and released Republican prisoners whom he was able to organise in their work-gangs. The men and women of the 1940s had suffered and been tortured so much that when the Fianna Fáil administration released them to desolated homes, they thought the IRA was defeated for all time.

Slowly but surely Séamus Ó Mongáin and his friends started to rebuild Óglaigh na hÉireann. At this time the chairperson first met Séamus; he became a life-long friend and mentor to him and to so many others and went on to give guidance in the right direction at every crisis that arose.

'He was an inspiration to us in the 1950s and as a man of advanced years in the 1970s his contribution to the struggle of the next 30 years in both equipment and advice does not need explanation to those who took a real part in it.

'He was a great friend of Comdt-General Tom Maguire, Mayo veteran of the Black-and-Tan War, and it is now my privilege to introduced that veteran Republican's son to pay tribute to Séamus in a short oration in Irish.'

In his concluding remarks Dan Hoban said that Séamus Ó Mongáin was the very last of a great generation of Mayo men and women who had served the Republican Movement through the terrible hardships of the 1930s and '40s.

They had ensured that Mayo would always make a major contribution to the struggle for Irish freedom. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

The piper brought the proceedings to a close with the playing of Amhrán na bhFiann. Then Séamus's sons, daughters and grandchildren who are all members of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann rendered songs in Irish and music at the graveside.

Déantar Comhbhrón ó chroí a thairgsint dá chlainn: Séamus, Naoise, Fearghal agus Seán; Síle agus Lasairíona; dá chlann gharmac agus garníon; agus dá ghaolta ar fad.

Óráid cois uaighe, leis an Dr Seán Maguidhir:

“Sé nós agus béas ár gcoine focal scuir a rá os cionn uaighe an té atá ar lár. Déanaimís amhlaidh anois ag uaidh Shéamais, len a ghaisce a mholadh agus onóir a thúirt dá chuimhne, agus le Comhbhrón a dhéanamh len a chlainn agus a ghaolta ina mbris.

“Bhí an mianach Poblachtánach i Séamus ón gcliabhán. Bhí an bheirt sheanathair a bhí aige ins na Fíníní, agus bhí a chlann féin agus an triúr driotháir a bhí aige, Gearóid, Seán agus Las, bhíodar Poglachtámach go smior.

“In a óige bhí Séamus ina chónaí in Iorras agus i mBaile Átha Cliath, agus i Léarphól. Bhí siopa i Léarphól ag athair Shéamuis. Chuaigh S'eamus go dtí an Ollscoil i 1933 i mBaile Átha Cliath áit ar chain sé céim amach. Chuaigh sé isteach san IRA, Arm na Poblachta i Léarphól roimhe sin, i 1932. Bhí air teicheadh as an gcathair sin níos deireanaí.

“Cuireadh Séamus i bpríosún in Éirinn i 1939 agus ina dhiaidh sin imtheorannaíodh ar Churrach Chill Dara. Bhí sé i bhríosún nuair a fuair Seán Mac Conghaile agus Antoine Ó Dorchaí bás ar stailc ocrais.

“Nuair a bhí an Cogadh Domhanda thart scaoileadh soar na príosúnaigh ach bhíodar go léir dí-fhosthaithe. Bhí an t-ádh ar Shéamus obair a fháil i bPairc an Fhíonuisce, áit a raibh cruachanna móra móna mar ábhar teine do mhuintir Bhaile Átha Cliath. Ar ball bhí sé ar chumas Shéamuis obair a fháil d'fhir eile a bhí ar aon intinn leis féin.

“Bhí an saol go gear agus go crua ar Shéamus i rith an ama seo agus bhris an t-sláinte ar a bhean chéile, M'aire, agus d'éag sé agus í óg. Beannacht dílis Dé léí.

“Chuir sé féin agus a chomradaí dílis, Caoimhín Mac Cathmhaoil, nach maireann, mean-scoil ar bun i mBéal Átha na Muice, Co Mhuigheó. Chaith Séamus na blianta ag múineadh sa scoil sin go dtí raibh sé in aois éirí as. Bhí sé páirtteach san iol iomad agóidí in éinfí le Caoimhín ar bhonn soisialta.

“Bhí Séamus Ó Mongáin dílis don Phoblacht Uile Éireann, a gógraíodh i 1916 agus a bunaíodh i 1919, ar feadh a shaoil fhada. Sheas sé an fód go calma agus bhí sé dílis do theagasc agus smaointe an Phiarsaigh i gcónaí.

“Le bhúr dtoil, ba mhian liom focal a rá leis an aos og. Bígí dílis. Biodh Séamus Ó Mongáin mar fhear stúirtha agaibh. Fáigh cóip d'óráid an Phiarsaigh ag uaigh Uí Dhonnabháin Rosa.

“Léadh sibh agus aith-léadh sibh an óráid sin go mbeidh sé de ghlanmheabhair agaibh; agus má éiríonn aon cheist ó thaobh dílseachta don Phoblacht Uile-Éireann, beidh sibh in-ann a rá libh féin céard a Dhéanfadh an Piarsach, agus céard a Dhéanfadh Séamus Ó Mongáin.

“Cosúil leis an bPiarsach bhí suim fé Leith ag Séamus sa Ghaeilge. Sin cuid eile den oidhreacht luachmhar atá again ina dhiaidh. Is seód gur liú le rá í an Ghaeilge agus ba coir dúinn meas a bheith again ar an teanga. Muna labhartar an Ghaeilge nó teanga ar bith eile, ní sláintiúl a bhéas an teanga sin.

“Ar son na bhfear agus na mban bhí dílis go h-éag, agus na bhfear agus na mban idir óg agus aosta atá dílis inniu, té sé d'onóir agam a rá ar bhúr son agus ar mo shon féin de Séamus: 'sl,án leat, a laoich, agus leaba i measc Poblachtánach dílis na héireann go raibh agat i bhFlaitheas Dé inniu'.

“Requiescat in Pace.”

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Web layout by SAOIRSE -- Irish Freedom December 7, 2002  Send links, events notifications, articles, comments etc, to the editor at: saoirse@iol.ie.