Mayo student wins All-Island History Award for Civil War Project

Leah Honan, a Leaving Certificate student at St Joseph’s Community College, Charlestown, Co Mayo, has received the top award for her project titled “Exploring the Shared Legacy of the Tuam Civil War Executions in 1923.”

The Mayo student was honoured for her research into 1923 Tuam Military Barracks executions at an awards ceremony at the Department of Education, where her work was appraised by Dr. Caitríona Ní Cassaithe, Assistant Professor in History Education at the Institute of Education, Dublin City University.

Leah’s project explores the circumstances surrounding the execution of her great-granduncle, Sean Newell, at Tuam Military Barracks on April 11, 1923. He was one of six young men executed by National Army forces during the final stages of the Irish Civil War.

Her research also highlights a lesser-known aspect of the events — the connection between the executions in Tuam and imprisoned female members of Cumann na mBan from Killala, who were forced to witness them.

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Through her work, Leah examined the shared legacy of Civil War trauma, engaging with the descendants of the women affected and reflecting on how the events of 1923 continue to resonate in communities across Mayo and the west of Ireland.

Leah attended the ceremony accompanied by her history teacher, Ann Leydon. During the event, she was interviewed by Bryan Dobson, a member of the Government Commemoration Committee and former national broadcaster.

Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton congratulated the winners, acknowledging the high standard of historical research and analysis demonstrated by students from across the island of Ireland.

The All-Island Schools’ History Competition encourages students to engage critically with Ireland’s past, with this year’s entries reflecting continued interest in the complex legacy of the Civil War period.