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🇮🇪 Ireland /Culture & Society

Descendants seek recognition for Laois volunteers who fought in 1916 Rising

From RTÉ News · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Laois volunteers damaged railway tracks and communication lines near Portlaoise in 1916 under Pádraig Pearse’s direct orders.
  • Descendants say some participants received medals while others received no recognition, creating a historical injustice.
  • Campaigners are seeking posthumous medals, saying the issue now concerns fairness rather than pensions or money.

For more than a century, the Fleming family has preserved what is believed to be the only surviving direct order from Pádraig Pearse to Laois volunteers during the 1916 Rising. Now, descendants are using it to press for medals for men they say never received proper recognition.

Quite a successful operation.

· Cormac MooreThe historian described the Laois volunteers’ 1916 operation at Colt Wood.

On Easter Sunday night, April 23, 1916, Laois volunteers demolished part of the Portlaoise railway line and cut communication lines. Their aim was to stop British military reinforcements from reaching Dublin through Waterford after the Rising began. The tracks were torn up, a train was derailed and telegraph wires were cut. Campaigners also say the operation involved the first shot of the Rising.

Historian and author Cormac Moore has researched the volunteers’ actions at Colt Wood in Portlaoise. He described the operation as “quite a successful operation.” “They cut off a lot of communication; they were able to derail the tracks as well,” he said. The following day, a train was derailed, forcing eight men, including five members of the Royal Irish Constabulary, to jump clear.

They cut off a lot of communication; they were able to derail the tracks as well.

· Cormac MooreMoore explained the practical impact of the volunteers’ actions.

Moore said a railway clerk came from Portlaoise with a lantern while the operation was under way. The leader, PJ Ramsbottom, told him to stop and fired three shots. Moore said those were “the first official shots of the 1916 Easter Rising.” He believes the volunteers fulfilled their orders and should be recognized.

The first official shots of the 1916 Easter Rising.

· Cormac MooreMoore referred to the shots fired at a railway clerk during the operation.

The campaign is led in part by descendants of the participants. Pat Fleming is campaigning on behalf of his grandfather Patrick, who retrieved Pearse’s order. He said there was “no consistency in how the medals were awarded,” with half the volunteers receiving medals while the others were not recognized for their 1916 service. The government approved two medals in 1941 for service during the 1916 to 1921 period, but the current system is linked to a pensions scheme that ended in the late 1950s. Campaigners say their demand is now about fairness, not money.

No consistency in how the medals were awarded.

· Pat FlemingFleming argued that some Laois volunteers received medals while others did not.
About this summary

Originally published by RTÉ News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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