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Waterford & the National Volunteers

National Volunteer groups were established throughout Waterford City and County in 1913 in response to the call to defend Home Rule against the threat from the Ulster Volunteer Force. Accounts from the Bureau of Military History and the Military Service Pensions www.militaryarchives.ie show there were Irish National Volunteers set up in: Aglish; Ardmore; Ballymacarbry; Bonmahon; Dungarvan; Dunhill; Kill; Knockboy; Lismore; Old Parish; Ring; Stradbally; Tramore and Waterford City.

Large public meetings were held to call on people to join the Irish Volunteers. In March 1914 a launch meeting was held of the newly formed Waterford City branch of the Irish Volnteers and about 500 men marched to City Hall led by the Barrack Street Brass Band and the Erin's Hope Fife and Drum band. The meeting was addressed by Eoin MacNeill, leader of the Irish Volunteers. Robert A. Kelly was appointed Chairman of hte Waterford City branch of the Irish Volunteers. The Committee were:Dr. Vincent White; Edmund Bolton; PW Kenny; Seán Mathews; Patrick Brazil; JD Walsh and Patrick Woods.

According to Pat McCarthy in his book The Irish Revolution 1912-23 - Waterford there were over 700 men divided into 8 companies in the Waterford branch of the Irish Volunteers and they drilled on the grounds of the Courthouse with route marches being held on Sundays.

A mass meeting was held on 22nd April 1914 in Dungarvan and was addressed by Michael Joseph O'Rahilly known as The O'Rahilly. According to Patrick Ormond in his statement to the Bureau of Military History about 500 men in the Dungarvan district enrolled. A mass meeting was held in Lismore in June. The groups were usually trained by ex-Brtish Army men, such as Maurice O'Brien, who trained the National Volunteers in Bonmahon. They drilled and trained with maekshift weapons, in Stradbally wooden guns for drilling were made by local carpenter Reg Cunningham. According to Pat McCarthy a report of the 28th July 1914 to the Irish Volunteers Headquarters shows two brigades of Irish Volunteers in Waterford each with four battalions. East Waterford had 2349 members with battalions in the City, Gaultier and two battalions in the Comeragh Mountains. West Waterford had 1385 members with 2 battalions in the Dungarvan area and a battalion in the Blackwater Valley and one in the Knockmealdown Mountains.

In addition to the Irish Volunteers, Cumann na mBan was established in Waterford City in July 1914 with Alice Colfer as President and Rosamund Jacob as Secretary.

The violent response of British troops to the Howth gun running in July, in contrast to the lack of response to similar actions by the Ulster Volunteer Force, led to outrage amongst Irish nationalists and on 28th July the Volunteers in Waterford paraded to Ballybricken Hill for a mass meeting to support the Volunteers. PA Murphy was among the speakers and according to the newspapers of the time he told the crowd

"...any attempt made to take from the city of Waterford volunteers, any rifle or ammunition while the Ulster Volunteers were allowed to retain their arms would be resisted to the bitter end".

The outbreak of the First World War caused a rift in the National Volunteers. John Redmond called on members of the National Volunteers to join the British Army in September 1914 and Eoin MacNeill, Pádraig Pearse and The O'Rahilly repudiated this call. However, many of the companies of National Volunteers respondend, particularly in Waterford City with its close connection to John Redmond. The Corporation, County Council and the Unionists in Waterford were all behind the call to join up and many businesses showed their support by promising to hold the jobs of any of their employees joining up.

The National Volunteers broke up completely following the split, but in a number of cases smaller Irish Volunteer companies were established, although in the case of Ring Degulain O'Regáin reported that all of this company sided with the Irish Volunteers as was the case in Ardmore where James Prendergast reported likewise.