Dungarvan fisherman killed by police bullet is laid to rest
Dungarvan, 15 May 1919 - The interment has taken place today of Michael Walsh, a young fisherman from Dungarvan, Co. Waterford.
Mr Walsh died from wounds suffered as a result of being shot by a local RIC officer, Constable McCarthy. The constable was being released on bail from Waterford Jail as the victim was being laid to rest.
The shooting took place at the police barracks in Ballinagoul following a row in a public house.
Mr Walsh was shot through the throat, with the bullet travelling almost all the way through; it was extracted from his back. Despite reports that he was making ‘excellent progress’ on one day, he was dead the next.
His interment took place at Ring, Co. Waterford, where a large crowd from all parts of the county turned out in attendance, including some members of the Volunteer movement dressed in uniform. The roadsides en route to the village of Ballinagoul were lined with Sinn Féin flags. The deceased man was a prominent member of both the Volunteers and Sinn Féin in his district.
Music was provided by the Waterford Sinn Féin Brass Band who had travelled from Dungarvan for the occasion. As the funeral procession made its way from Mr Walsh’s home to the church, a distance of about a mile, the band alternatively struck up ‘Wrap the Green Flag Round Me’ and ‘A Nation Once Again’.
And on their return from Ballinagoul, the band played the ‘Soldiers Song’ through the streets of Dungarvan.
[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]
