Plaque unveiled to Irish hero

A plaque was unveiled today in memory of Kit Conway, a hero of the War of Independence and Spanish anti-fascist movement in the 1930s.

Kit Conway was born in Burncourt, Tipperary, in 1897 and served in the 3rd Tipperary Brigade commanded by his best friend John Kearney.

His excellence as a soldier and as a born leader of men saw him progress to becoming a member of Sean Hogan’s Flying Column, in which he fought over a wide area of South Tipperary.

The memorial erected at Burncourt also celebrates the many Volunteers who gave their lives during the 1919-1921 War of Independence.

In the 1930s Kit Conway became a leading activist of the building workers branch of the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union.

And he travelled to Spain in 1936 after Franco’s generals revolted against the democratically elected government. Franco, supported by the fascist regimes of Hitler and Mussolini, overthrew the elected leaders.

The plaque reads: “Killed in action, Battle of Jarama 12th February 1937. Dedicated to his memory and the memory of all those Volunteers from Burncourt who fought in the War of Independence.

“Ar son saoirse na hEireann agus na Spainne. Por la causa de la libertad de Irlanda y de Espana.”

In the famous battle of Jarama, just outside Madrid, Kit Conway commanded his own Irish company and two other companies as well.

Around 10,000 soldiers were killed in the battle including Kit Conway who died on February 12, 1937. A number of Spanish visitors attended the ceremony.