Annual Easter Commemoration in Granard
Annual Easter commemoration this Easter Sunday, April 9, will be held at the grave of Captain Patrick Murphy Carra Granard at 3pm.
Patrick Murphy and his two brothers Sean and William from Trumra in Abbeylara parish were active during the War of Independence and all three took the anti Treaty side in the Civil War.
In early 1923 there was strong resistance in the Granard area and the Free State forces were trying to round up anti treaty men. On January 23 Pat Cook was in charge of a group of men who staged an attack or raid on armed members of the secret service returning from holding a meeting near Granard.
In the ensuing gun battle Patrick Murphy was hit by a bullet in the side of the head. Seriously wounded he was removed to the Mater Hospital Dublin and died the following day.
The Longford Leader reported the incident as follows: “A national volunteer named Owen Donohoe and a young man named Reynolds from Abbeylara were called upon to halt at Springtown by two or three men. Shots were exchanged and Donohoe fell wounded and his companion, it is stated, threw a bomb at the men, who made their escape. Donohoe believes that his fire took effect and that one of the men was wounded. Donohoe was removed to Longford hospital and made a full recovery but the man he shot died the following day.
Patrick Murphy's coffin was draped with the tricolour and a volley of shots was fired as he was laid to rest in Carra Cemetery. He was laid out and buried in a uniform worn by Michael Drumm, Granard when he travelled to Dublin to take part in the Easter Rising.”
In his honour Republican commemorations are held at regular intervals at his grave. Significantly, Murphy was the only fatality on the anti treaty side.