Kildare community remembers Spanish Civil War hero
Steven Connelly, chair of JuneFest, Mick Healy, and Linda Walker, a member of Friends of the International Brigades Ireland, with the Frank Conroy plaque
A COMMITTEE in Kilcullen has designed a badge to mark the 90th anniversary of the death of Frank Conroy, a local man who was killed in the Spanish Civil War in 1936. The badge will soon be available from the Kilcullen Heritage Centre and the offices of deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh in Kildare town, where donations towards the Heritage Centre may be made upon collection.
Local man Mick Healy explained how he helped set up this committee in 2012 after Kildare historian James Durney wrote about Frank Conroy.
“James knew he was from Kildare, but didn’t know he was from Kilcullen,” said Mick. “We actually had our first meeting in Kildare town because that’s where we thought he was from, but then James Durney uncovered the Kilcullen element.”
On 22 June 2019, Christy Moore unveiled a plaque to Frank Conroy to commemorate the 26-year-old Kilcullen man who was killed in 1936 while fighting with the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War.
The plaque was presented to the Kilcullen Heritage Centre by the Friends of the International Brigades Ireland.
Christy Moore took to the stage at the Heritage Centre to give an impromptu performance of four songs including , and in the final verse Christy actually names Frank Conroy, his fellow county man.
“Christy always mentioned Frank Conroy when he sang the song, but he never knew he was from Kilcullen, and now he always mentions this,” said Mick.
Frank Conroy was born on 25 February 1914 in Kilcullen and at a young age he joined the IRA; later he became involved with the Republican Congress.
Frank was active in street battles against Irish supporters of the fascist General Franco in Spain, and around this time he volunteered to join the International Brigade, determined to defend the Spanish Republic against the Franco’s fascist rebellion.
He set sail on the Holyhead ferry on 13 December 1936, alongside other Irish volunteers of the International Brigade. At Lopera in Córdoba, the Irish in the new International Brigades went into action on 28 December 1936.
The fighting here was fierce, and Frank Conroy was killed here that day, one of up to 70 Irishmen who died in this conflict.
“We don’t know an awful lot about Frank’s Kilcullen background, but when the 1926 census becomes available later this year, we will learn much more about Frank, like his address, and things like that,” said Mick.
“Nessa Dunlea, whose family used to own the cinema which is now the Heritage Centre, discovered that Frank Conroy’s father – a baker – worked in her grandfather’s bakery in Kilcullen, so maybe even Frank worked there,” said Mick.
At the moment, the Frank Conroy Memorial Committee has nothing concrete planned to commemorate the 90th anniversary of his death “but there are some ideas, maybe for JuneFest in Newbridge, like the unveiling of the plaque in 2019”.
Watch this space.
