The tragedy of war

Bride Brady

Tommy Joe Prendergast was born on Bridge Street, Louisburgh, to Michael and Kate Prendergast on February 26, 1902. He died in an ambush in Blindwell, Kilconly on July 3, 1922. He was 20 years of age.
Tommy Joe died when the lorry in which he was a front-seat passenger crashed into a felled tree in Blindwell. He was attended to at the scene by neighbouring families but the young soldier passed away 20 minutes later.
Tommy Joe’s body was laid out in Collerans (now Shallys) by Mr John Concannon, grandfather of John Concannon of JFC and Gerry Concannon of CBE and the Concannons of Ardour. Mr Concannon had experience of working with The Red Cross in the USA and was called upon by the Old IRA to attend to casualties. It is reported that Tommy Joe’s body was laid out with great respect and on the following day his body was escorted by his comrades in the West Mayo Brigade back to his native Louisburgh.
In the early 1940s a monument was erected by Tommy Joe’s comrades at the spot in Blindwell where he died. The monument was unveiled by Captain Pete Brennan of Ironpool, Kilconly.
Down the years, the monument became overgrown and dilapidated. However, following on from the Kilconly Centenary Event in April 2016 and with funding from Kilconly Development Association and local sponsorship, the monument has now been restored to its former glory.
In recent months, relatives of Staff Captain Thomas Prendergast have been located in Louisburgh and have been invited to attend the unveiling of the restored monument in Blindwell on Saturday, February 18 at 2pm. The restored monument will be unveiled on this occasion by Mrs Myra Concannon, daughter of the late Captain Pete Brennan who unveiled the monument in the 1940s. Reverend Father Michael Kenny, PP Kilconly and Kilbannon, will bless the monument and pray for the repose of the soul of Staff Captain Thomas Prendergast and a wreath will be laid at the monument by a relative of Tommy Joe’s from Louisburgh.
Following the ceremony at the monument, refreshments will be served in Tierney’s of Foxhall where Bob Dunleavy and others will recount the details of the ambush as has been handed down to them. There will be a general discussion and story-telling in relation to Staff Captain Thomas Prendergast and ‘the times that were in it’ and poetry will be recited lamenting the tragedy of war. Song will be provided by the renowned Molly McHugh of Biggera, Belclare.
It is now known that Tommy Joe was an outstanding academic and is documented as being a university student at the time of his death. It is assumed that prior to attending university that he attended St Jarlath’s College in Tuam. It is reported that as the lorry in which he was a passenger was travelling through Tuam on that fateful night, Tommy Joe remarked to a comrade that two of his college friends had drowned in the River Clare.
This is the first occasion that the people of Louisburgh have become aware of the location of Tommy Joe’s death and it is therefore fitting that the people of Louisburgh would join with the people of Kilconly in remembering and paying tribute to this young man. The story of Staff Captain Thomas Prendergast and the event in Blindwell will be recorded in the archives in Louisburgh Museum and will also be presented in their parish annual, An Coinneal, the oldest parish annual in Ireland.
The Blindwell event will be uploaded to the Galway County Council 1916 website and together with the Centenary 1916 event from Kilconly on April 24, 2016 will be archived by The National Library of Ireland.
All are welcome to this commemoration in Blindwell on Saturday next at 2pm and may the soul of Staff Captain Thomas Prendergast Rest in Peace and may his memory live on. A member of the Defence Forces will raise the Tricolour over his monument at the ceremony.
The townland of Blindwell and the monument is on the main Tuam/Ballinrobe road, approximately midway between both towns.

Bride Brady is a member of the Kilconly Centenary Committee