Civil War commemoration in Rathcabbin

Two local events from Ireland’s tragic Civil War will be remembered in Rathcabbin at 12.30 on Sunday next, when a plaque that remembers men from both side of that grim divide will be unveiled. Erected by a group of local people, the plaque is to the memory of Pte Patrick Tiquin, National Army and Vol John Moylan, IRA.

Pte Patrick Tiquin from Taylors Cross worked as a blacksmith before joining the National Army in 1922. Based in the military post in Banagher, Co Offaly, he was appointed local Intelligence Officer in September 1922. Tiquin was home on leave the night of October 15 and left home the following morning to return to Banagher. He was seen in Rathcabbin that afternoon by two schoolgirls and saluted them as they passed.

A short time later after reaching her nearby home, one of the girls heard the sound of gunfire. When Patrick Tiquin failed to return to Banagher military post, search parties were sent out looking for him and it was one of these that discovered his body in the grounds of Gurteen House on October 17.

An inquest into the circumstances of Tiquin’s death held in St Brendan’s hospital Birr heard that he had been shot several times and a revolver in his possession was missing. Following requiem Mass in Banagher, Patrick Tiquin was buried in All Saints Graveyard, Taylors Cross. Patrick Tiquin was married with a wife and infant son. At the time of his death he was aged twenty-six.

John Moylan was from Gurteen, Rathcabbin. He joined the Irish Volunteers in 1918 and was a member of D Coy (Rathcabbin) 4th Batt Offaly No 2 Brigade during the War of Independence. Following the Treaty split, he took the anti-Treaty side in the Civil War. He was a member of the Crinkle Barracks garrison until the IRA vacated it in July 1922. Following that he served with the South Offaly Flying Column up until his capture, August 1 1922. He was imprisoned in Maryborough (Portlaoise) Prison and it was here that he first became ill.

Despite being in ill health he was transferred to the Curragh Detention Camp where his condition worsened. He developed Diphtheria and was transferred to the Curragh Military Hospital.

In the hospital, he continued to decline and developed Meningitis, from which he died on June 12, 1923. John’s brother, Michael was also in detention at this stage and he was refused leave to attend his brother’s funeral. At the time of his death, John Moylan was aged 25. His remains were returned to Rathcabbin for funeral Mass in the local church following which he was interred in Pallas Graveyard, Rathcabbin.

Both of those young men died believing they were serving Ireland. In reality, both died for the same cause, they differed only in how that dream of a free and independent Ireland could be brought to fruition - that is the real tragedy of those terrible months of 1922/23. The unveiling of the plaque on Sunday will be attended by descendants from both families whose loved ones are being remembered and all are welcome to join in what is a ceremony of reconciliation.