Galway Volunteers became sitting ducks

Over 600 rebels mobilised in the western county, but, with no arms nor reinforcements arriving, they had no choice but to reject the urgings of their leader Liam Mellows and disband, writes Conor McNamara

GALWAY was one of the few places outside of Dublin to have a significant Volunteer mobilisation at Easter 1916. Over 600 Volunteers under the command of Liam Mellows traversed south-east Galway for five days, attacking the police at Clarinbridge, Athenry, Oranmore, Carnmore, and Lydecan.

One police constable was killed and several taken captive by the insurgents. The group commandeered foodstuffs, cars, horses, and cattle, destroyed railway lines, barricaded roads, and generally defied the police authorities over a large section of Galway countryside.