Coláiste Mhuire, Ballygar School Community Remembers Former Staff Member
and 1916 Volunteer Seamus Bevan
Next year 2016, heralds the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising
thus beginning a year of commemorative events nationwide. The school community
in Coláiste Mhuire, Ballygar came together on Thursday, November 26th 2015 with
representatives of local community organisations to mark this momentous event
in our nation’s history and to celebrate the contribution to the cause of one
of our own, former teacher, Seamus Bevan. Also present from Dublin and Belfast
were members of the Bevan family, his nephew Joe, grand-nephews Stewart and
Briain and grand-niece Ciara. Other invited guests included well-known Irish
traditional musicians Máire, Maura and Rita Uí Bheaglaíoch with whose family
Seamus often holidayed in Ballydavid, Co. Kerry, a colour party from the Irish
Defence Forces, member of the defence forces and past-pupil Captain Áine Gilmore,
home from a tour of duty in the Lebannon, representatives of the local Ballygar
Tidy Town’s Committee and St. Mary’s Church Choir, former staff, trustees, and
current Board of Management members of Coláiste Mhuire.
The gathering was the brain-child of long-standing staff member Eamon
Madden, a local history enthusiast. The celebrations began with a ceremonial
procession by the Irish Defence forces bearing the tricolour. Assembled guests
were addressed by Leaving Certificate History student Padráig Bury, who
provided guests with a background to the Easter Rising of 1916. This was
followed by a rousing speech from Principal Emma O’Malley on the life and times
of Seamus Bevan. Ms. O’Malley invited Captain Áine Gilmore to unveil a plaque,
created by Woodwork teacher Eamon Madden in loving memory of Mr. Bevan. There
followed a haunting rendition of ‘The Last Post’ by a Defence force’s
bugler and drummer, accompanied by a minute’s silence. Stewart Bevan, on behalf
of his family, briefly addressed assembled guests and dignitaries, expressing
his gratitude to the school community for seeing fit to honour their
grand-uncle on such a grand scale. Micheal Naughton and Tomás Kenny representing
Ballygar Tidy Towns and St. Mary’s Church Choir, two of the community
organisations of which Bevan was a founding member, paid tribute to Seamus
Bevan. Subsequently, a short video was screened, with past-pupils of Seamus
sharing memories of their beloved teacher. After
events concluded in the school, assembled guests proceeded to An Páirc
Shuaimhnis, adjacent to Plunkett Park where Ballygar Tidy Towns hosted a tree
planting ceremony in memory of Seamus Bevan and all adjourned to the Old
Courthouse for light refreshments.
Bevan was born at the turn of the last century in 1900 and raised on
Geraldine Street in Phibsborough, Dublin. He was the youngest son of Joseph
Bevan and had four other siblings – Charles, Thomas, Catherine and Mary. Joe
and his two eldest sons, Charles and Thomas worked in the printing business in
Dublin while Seamus was a scholar in the renowned Christian Brothers’ O’Connell
Schools on Richmond Street. Joe Bevan was also a committed nationalist. He and his two sons Tommy and Charlie became
members of the ‘C’ Company, 1st Battalion, Dublin Brigade of the
Irish Volunteers in 1913. As Seamus was too young to join the Volunteers he
became a member of Na Fianna Eireann, or the Irish National Boy Scouts. To all
intents and purposes, Na Fianna were under the aegis of the Irish Republican
Brotherhood and in fact many of its early members became members of the
Volunteers. According to a report from Seamus Bevan’s own hand and taken from
the archives of the Bureau of Military History 1913-1921, when a dispute arose
among the members of the Fianna of Dublin North City circa 1915, Seamus already
independent minded and determined left Na Fianna, becoming part of a new
organisation called the National Guard.
When fighting eventually erupted on the streets of
Dublin on Easter Monday 1916, Charles Bevan, Seamus’ brother, under the command
of Ned Daly is said to have been the first to enter the Four Courts. His
brother Thomas and father Joe were also involved in the fighting. However,
Seamus, at the tender age of 16 was still too young to become directly involved
in the hostilities and so, spent his time dodging gunfire and
snipers while running messages throughout the city between the officers of the Companies of the First
Battalion. After the Rising was quashed by the British, Seamus’ father Joe was
sent to Frongoch in Wales and his brothers were sentenced to death for their
involvement in the insurgency. These sentences were later commuted to prison
terms and they remained in prisons in Ireland and Britain until a general
amnesty in 1917.
Seamus joined the Christian Brothers in 1918 and so
began his teaching career in school’s throughout Leinster and Munster. Upon
leaving the Christian Brothers in 1931 he continued his teaching career.
Arriving in Ballygar in 1951, Seamus took up lodgings at what remains the
Curley homestead opposite the school. He joined the staff of Coláiste Mhuire,
still in its infancy as an educational establishment, having been founded by
the local community in 1948. Seamus teaching subjects were History and English
but former students fondly remember his love for all things Irish, including
our national language and traditional Irish music. It is clear too from
testimonials of those who knew him personally that he was a man of unbridled
energy, infectious enthusiasm and complete selflessness. He organised and
became honorary secretary of many of the local voluntary organisations such as
the Ballygar Town Development Association, Game Protection Association and
local Gun Club. So too, he was a founding member of Ballygar Tidy Towns and,
was the organist and choir director in St. Mary’s Church. He put Ballygar on
the map as an angling destination and even found time to devise and launch an
economic policy for the production of agricultural produce. Bevan was also a
keen photographer and he left behind an impressive collection of photographic
records of a bygone era. However, first and foremost, Seamus was an educator.
He never wavered in his commitment to his pupils, helping many to find work or
prepare them for university entrance examinations. It is little wonder
therefore that when Seamus Bevan passed away unexpectedly and suddenly in 1960,
his loss was keenly felt by all in our community. Canon Feely, captured the
mood of locals in his eulogy:
“Our little town has
suffered a grievous loss in the unexpected death of this distinguished man”.
While an un-named past pupil wrote in Bevan's published obituary how:
“The eighty pupils
who formed a guard of honour outside the church as the flag-draped coffin of
their beloved friend and teachers was borne away to his native city testified
to the manner of the man he was to them. The sad beauty of this final scene –
children crying in a little town in Connacht because the rebel stranger boy
from Dublin town was going home.
The great, big
material world will little note nor long remember the achievements of this
righteous citizen in our little town in Connacht but his memory will remain in
the hearts of these children forever and the kindly people of this lovely town
will not easily forget Seamus Bevan”.
It is fitting then that Seamus Bevan is buried in
Glasnevin cemetery, the final home of so many of our national heroes. Ar dhéis Dé go raibh a anam uasal.
The memorial plaque will be on display in the grounds of Coláiste Mhuire, Ballygar in the New Year.
Pictured Irish Defence Force's Colour Party adding a solemnity to our celebrations
Seamus Bevan's grand-nephew Stewart addresses assembled guests and dignitaries
Members of the Bevan family, Briain O'Neill, Joe Bevan, Stewart Bevan and Ciara Bevan
Leaving Certificate History student Padraig Bury
Students enraptured by Seamus Bevan's story
Stewart Bevan, Ciara Bevan, Briain O'Neill, Eamon Madden, Joe Bevan, Emma O'Malley, Captain Áine Gilmore and her colleagues from the Irish Defence Forces who provided a colour party
Irish Defence Force Buglers play The Last Post, before assembled guests observed a minute's silence
Principal Emma O'Malley and Captain Áine Gilmore
Principal Emma O'Malley and former Vice Principal Shay Cleary
Coláiste Mhuire traditional Irish musicians entertaining assembled guests and dignitaries