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Donal O'Regan, 16 Jun
A PLAQUE will be unveiled this Monday, June 17 to mark the spot where
Irish patriots were executed in Kilfinane in 1798.
The ceremony is being organised by the Kilfinane Coshlea Historical
Society with the plaque being unveiled by a number of people, including
Mary Setzkoran, a direct descendant of Staker Wallace (Staker Wallis).
It takes place at 3pm.
Gerry Raftery, of Kilfinane Coshlea Historical Society, said Ms
Setzkoran is leading a group of sixth, seventh and eighth generations
of descendants of Staker Wallace from Wisconsin in the United States.
“They will spend a day in the area exploring places associated with the
life and death of their most renowned ancestor. It promises to be an
exciting occasion in the town. There will be music and dancing in the
Market Square to celebrate the occasion,” said Mr Raftery.
Staker Wallace was the commander of a local division of United
Irishmen, who was executed in the town by the British in the lead up to
the 1798 rebellion.
He was arrested following an alleged plot to murder the local landlord,
Capt Oliver who then offered his freedom in return for the names of
other United Irishmen and the location of their weapons. Staker Wallace
declined.
He was jailed in Kilfinane and flogged before he was publicly hanged
and beheaded. His head was then put on a spike above the Market House
for a number of weeks before he was buried in the town.
The actions of the Irish patriot, believed to be from Bulgaden, were
never forgotten. He is remembered in song - A Lament to Staker Wallace;
name of a GAA Club and a monument in Kilfinane.
Fast forward to 2006, human bones were discovered in Kilfinane, when
the local authority was carrying out urban renewal works in the
town. The bones were found in what is known locally as the “Croppies
Hole”.
Locals believed that the remains of Staker Wallace were among the bones
found. It was thought a number of men were buried in the grave.
However, it appears Staker Wallace was forgotten about for 14 years as
the Limerick Leader revealed in 2020, through correspondence from the
council that, “This project was put on a back burner due to ongoing
pressure of work”.
Kilfinane man James O’Brien, who raised his concerns over the delay in
2020 with Minister of State Niall Collins, said: “Those bones lay
forgotten for over 200 years. It’s a fright to God if they are
forgotten again.”
Mr Collins said: “Sitting on skeletal remains for over 14 years, which
are an integral part of the history, heritage and culture of Kilfinane
is simply not acceptable”. He called on the council to immediately
begin the testing process.
READ MORE: Body cameras for Limerick gardaĂ later this year
Funding was sought in 2021 (under the council’s 2022 budget) with an
osteoarchaeologist (scientific study of human skeletons) procured
during October 2021. Funding was confirmed in January 2022 and the
bones were subsequently delivered to the osteoarchaeologist.
Former councillor, Mike Donegan revealed at a Cappamore-Kilmallock
Municipal District meeting last year that testing had shown they were
not the remains of Staker Wallace.
He said he had attended a talk on the bones organised by Kilfinane
Coshlea Historical Society- at which Dr Linda Lynch, osteoarchaeologist
and Sarah McCutcheon, the council archaeologist, gave a detailed talk
and presentation.
“They said they are not the bones of Staker Wallace. It was revealed on
the night that the assemblage of bones are those of five or six people,
mixed up in 1,400 pieces,” said Mr Donegan.