Fund in place for memorial to ten Mayo men who died in 1937 Kirkintilloch bothy fire
Plans are in place in Scotland to erect a memorial to mark the 90th anniversary of the death of ten Achill boys in bothy fire
A permanent stone monument in memory of the ten young Achill boys who died in the Kirkintilloch bothy fire disaster in 1937 is planned close to the location where they died.
Ten seasonal workers from Achill aged between 13 and 23 died in the tragedy in the Scottish town of Kirkintilloch when the bothy they were sleeping in caught fire on September 16, 1937.
To mark the 90th anniversary of the tragedy in September 2027, an Irishman living in Kirkintilloch is planning to erect a stone memorial close to where the tragedy took place.
Colm Heneghan, a native of Limerick whose father was a Tourmakeady man, told The Mayo News he has received great support to the idea of a memorial and to date over £4,000 out of a target of £6,000 has been raised.
A small granite plaque was erected on a building where the bothy once stood in 2007 but Colm feels that a more lasting memorial is needed.
“I heard the story [of the fire] around ten years ago and could never find the plague and was always something on my mind to have an eye out for. I eventually found it but I felt the boys deserved something better. I was over in Achill in 2019 and visited the monument and the grave of the ten boys and it stood out compared to what we have at home.
“I put the feelers out and asked people what they thought and the consensus is they deserved something better. The thing is people did not know where the current plaque was or the history around it and so the ball started rolling from there,” he said.
Fundraising
A Facebook page and a fundraising page was set up and eventually Colm and two other people in Kirkintilloch, which is located north of Glasgow, formed a committee to organise an event for the 90th anniversary. As well as receiving online donations, Colm explained that a number of fundraisers has taken place in the Kirkintilloch area with many Irish groups in Scotland getting on board.
The current plaque to the ten who died which was erected in Kirkintilloch in 2007
The design for the memorial has yet to be finalised but Colm envisages that it will be the size of a boulder made from granite which will remain in situ for many years to come.
“The reaction locally has been very positive and East Dubartonshire council have been of great support and promised us a bit of land beside the original plaque.
“We want to get a good sized memorial which will last because you don't know what will happen with the current plaque. It is currently on a wall with an industrial estate behind it and it is not a great location for people to find it. We want something where people will have a place to come along and know where it is to pay their respects in years to come,” he said.
Colm said he has been in touch with a number of people in Achill regarding the memorial and has even received some Achill Red Sandstone from Charlie Gallagher at the Currane Quarry, which he hopes will be incorporated into the final design.
Commemorative weekend
Plans are already being put in place for a commemorative weekend in September 2027 with events hoped to take place in the Kirkintilloch Town Hall to mark the 90th anniversary.
“We hope to be able to invite people from Achill and have a culture night for the unveiling and have musicians to play on the night as well as other events over the weekend. I have been in touch with some people in Achill about what is proposed and I am getting good feedback from families I have been in contact with. I want to finalise a date with the council to be able to send invitations so as many people from Achill can attend the unveiling. It is looking good for next year.”
To find out more about the Kirkintilloch memorial, visit the website www.kbfm2027.com where donations to the memorial can be made.