Sinn Fein’s Galway West TD, Mairéad Farrell, wants the statue of Liam Mellows cleaned before Easter Rising commemorations this weekend.
Publishing on her social media accounts, the opposition spokeswoman for Public Expenditure and Reform said she has sent a request to Galway City Council.
In response, hundreds of Galwegians signalled their online approval to spruce-up the Eyre Square statue of the Manchester-born republican and socialist, who represented Galway in the first Dáil.
Sinn Féin is planning a full Easter 1916 commemoration at the Liam Mellows statue this Saturday, April 19, at 3pm, with an address by Waterford TD, Conor McGuinness. A wreath laying at the Castlegar monument is scheduled for midday, and a wreath laying ceremony at St James Cemetery, Mervue, is at 12.30pm.
Commander of the IRA’s Western Division during the 1916 Rising, Mellows was linked with attacks on RIC barracks in Galway city, Carnmore, Oranmore, Clarinbridge and Athenry. He wrote a social programme for Irish separatism from Britain in 1919. Opposed to the Anglo-Irish Treaty, Mellows was executed by the Provisional Government in 1922 after the surrender of the Four Courts to Pro-Treaty forces.
Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and other republican groups have arranged a number of commemorative events across County Galway over the Bank Holiday weekend, with information available on their respective social media accounts.
